RWBY: My Tale to Keep
by Eramis8
Summary: Join Teams RWBY and JNPR as they race to solve some of the greatest mysteries surrounding Dust, Aura, and their own world. Now Neo-flavored! OC warning.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Okay this is going to be rather long so bear with me.**

**Hello and welcome to RWBY: My Tale to Keep. This is going to be a long drama that will have many long term plot points, hidden Chekov's Guns (look it up, its a theatrical term), and unfortunately long expositions. If you are not looking for that, then don't worry there is a decent mix of action and impending Slice of Life for you to also consider. The story starts after Volume 2 ends, approximately a week later. **

**One major thing I am going to say is that I'm not going to be using pre-chapter notes unless I get questions in reviews.**

**Seemed longer in my head, but oh well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, that belongs to Rooster Teeth.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Ancient Words, Ever True**

The city of Vale slept as two shadows raced across its rooftops. One of the shadows broke away, turning towards the Beacon Academy campus. The second shadow followed, crossing the river and open ground with single-minded pursuit. It caught up, eventually tackling the other into a darkened campus window.

Team JNPR started as two shadows smashed into their room through the window and continued through the room, breaking down their door with their momentum. The shadows continued, breaking through the door of Team RWBY's room. The two teams, awakened by the commotion, watched one of the intrusive shadows be launched through the window of the RWBY dorm and quickly be followed by the other.

"What the hell was that?" Weiss asked, not sure she wasn't going crazy.

"Not sure, but it sounds pretty bad." Nora replied as the eight friends heard the sounds of battle echo to them.

"Someone's in trouble! Let's go!" Ruby shouted, galvanizing her team into action. The four fearlessly jumped out the window, heedless of the danger. Team Juniper took a moment to share a look of unease before following them.

They landed at the base of the tree, nearby the two shadows who were currently dueling with strangely colored swords. Their bodies and blades glowed with an ominous purple energy, leaving a haze in the air as it misted off their bodies and weapons.

"What is going on here?" Professor Ozpin demanded as he arrived with Glynda Goodwitch.

"No witnesses." One shadow growled, the purple glow around its weapon growing to extend the blade. It slashed, the energy rolling off the blade like a wave at them. The other shadow leapt in front of them, throwing its hazy energy up to overwhelm the wave. The energy wave broke like the shadow was a cliff wall.

"Keep back!" their protector ordered them. The evil shadow charged, swinging at the good shadow. The two fighters called more of their strange energy haze out, distorting the others' view of the battle. In a single breath of wind the scene changed. The wind parted the haze, revealing the shadows as the evil one stabbed the good one in his chest. They reflexively flinched as the sword erupted from his back with the sickening scraping of metal on bone. A weak gasp came from the wounded fighter, but he still held his sword. He used the opportunity to strike his opponent down, the evil shadow's head flying before dissipating into dust. The haze faded as the good shadow pulled the sword from his chest, eliciting a groan of exertion and pain. He fell to the ground, moaning in pain.

Ruby was the first to get to the shadow's side, surprised when she saw that he was a black-haired boy younger than her.

"Stay still. We can help you." She ordered him, combat triage lectures coming back to her. She applied pressure to his wound, stifling the blood flowing from his wound.

"No." he said, his voice wet with his own blood, "I won't survive this… but they can still be saved."

"Who? Who needs saving?" Ruby could feel the blood flowing, but she couldn't feel his heart beating. What was this?

"Ranth's heirs. The Soulless. My people. They need your help. The Betrayer will strike at the gathering."

"Our help? Gathering?" Why was the blood still flowing over her fingers? Why couldn't she seem to slow it like with a normal wound?

"Yes. Take these." His hands pushed hers away from his wound, closing her fingers around two objects. "Find Keeper and protect him from the Betrayer. Save him. Save my people. Save Ranth. Save this world." He whispered, and his breath stopped. His body faded away entirely before her, leaving her confused. She turned to everyone else, who had heard their conversation. Ruby looked at her hands, expecting them to be painted red by her attempt to save the boy's life. She wasn't prepared for them to be clean, her fingers still locked around the mystery objects.

"Everyone head back to your rooms. We will meet in the morning to discuss this in detail." Ozpin commanded them. He stood and waited for them to go back into the dorm before Glynda stepped up to him.

"It appears that old legends still live." She remarked as she looked at the sword and dust pile still sitting on the quad.

"Mhm." Ozpin picked up the sword, words lost in his thoughts.

"I imagine you want Mr. Oobleck to start researching this immediately."

"If you would be so kind. Make sure he looks into the any possible links." They shared a quick nod before going off to continue their duties.

* * *

**Footnotes: Hi again! These will be used to add in any interesting or worldbuilding information I feel might make this story a little more understandable, and I will try to keep them to a minimum.**

**Also don't forget to review, comment, or PM me about anything on the story. Let me know if you like, dislike, outright hate, or love it. Every bit helps to feed the writer's fever I've got.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, it belongs to Roosterteeth.**

* * *

**Chapter 2:** **A Secret to Keep**

Ruby and the others all sat in Team JNPR's room, trying to understand what had just happened.

"How can Professor Ozpin just send us off like that? We just watched two people kill each other. That's not what we train for!" Jaune asked, his hands thrown up in exasperation.

"I don't believe they were people in the common sense of the word." Pyrrha said, looking at the others. They looked back at her, curious.

"What do you mean?" Weiss inquired, plying for the answer.

"I couldn't sense their auras. Not to mention the way they fought was…unnatural." Came the answer.

"Maybe this is just a sugar-fueled dream that we're all sharing!" Nora offered, "The desserts were pretty sugary at dinner."

"No way, a dream would be a lot weirder if we were all influencing it." Yang denied.

"You've shared a dream with someone before?" Blake wondered, surprised by her partner's continuously evolving life experiences. Ren looked at the assembled group and noticed that Ruby was looking at something she was holding in her lap. He could see a small book, wafer-thin pages irregularly shaped, and a small metal cylinder with a singular diamond-shaped button near the center of its otherwise smooth surface.

"His heart wasn't beating. Could someone already dead give me something? But I felt his blood flowing, heard him talking, saw him breathing. Why give me these?" Ruby questioned herself, lost deep in the puzzle and the shock of the boy's death before her eyes. The others turned to her, having momentarily forgotten about her due to her sudden silence.

"That piece of metal, it looks like a scroll. Maybe we should try and open it?" Weiss suggested, trying to draw out Ruby's normally positive nature. Ruby shook away the dark thoughts, then tried to open it. Try as she might, she couldn't get it open.

"Why don't I try?" Jaune offered, holding out his hand for it. Ruby threw the cylinder. Or at least tried to. When the cylinder left her hand, it stopped midair. It unfolded itself, floating at eye-height for the whole group. A 3-D map appeared of Vytal, complete with geological landmarks, cities, and the borders of the two kingdoms located on the continent. But the differences to the maps they knew shocked them even more. Three new and large cities that were connected by small structures labeled "Garrison/Outpost" filled the lands beyond the kingdoms' borders. A thick purple line connected Vale to one of the cities, its nameplate designating it "Home". Without thinking Ruby reached out, touching the city. The map zoomed and seemed to orient itself on the line, giving them a personal view of the path that the boy had probably followed. It started to move, starting just outside of Vale and heading south.

"**I'm not going to sugarcoat this. This is the most important mission you will undertake for our people…**" A male voice said, its melodic nature at odds with the message. As everyone sat enraptured by the voice and video, but Ruby jolted. She'd heard that voice before. But it was impossible…..

"**If it wasn't for the Gathering in three months, it would be me undertaking this risky venture; but the obligations to our people outweigh my desires. Be warned that we don't know how the kingdoms will react to our presence, much less existence. You will need to infiltrate their city and begin observations…**"

"That doesn't sound creepy at all." Yang mentioned, only to be shushed as everyone watched the map as it took them further out of the kingdom. Ruby wracked her mind for the last time she had heard that voice. And remembered….

"**Once you have confirmed the time is right, we make contact. They may not believe us at first but we will need to convince them of the truth. We've spent too far away from the ones we were meant to stand with. We will keep our word no matter what. Good luck, Dream-Tracker.**" The map finished its journey, showing a clearing marked "Meeting Point". The map deactivated, refolding itself into the cylinder before dropping to the floor with a dull thud.

"So our mystery boy is some sort of spy for a whole other kingdom hiding out in the wilds. But what was that part about keeping a promise or whatever?" Nora asked, her toes nudging the inactive map.

"I know that voice." Ruby told them, her eyes glazing over as she stared into the distance.

"From where?" They chorused, ready for a story.

"He's spoken to me in my dreams." She told them, lost in her memories.

* * *

Ruby started her story in a more typical way.

_The first time I remember meeting him in my dreams was when I was young. Every night he and I would play, saving people and battling the Grimm. Even when I was awake, I would imagine him there, fighting side-by-side with me. His glowing sword and what I would eventually craft to become Crescent Rose would carry us through our nightly adventures. Any time something was bad for me, he would comfort me that night. I remember making him promise to never leave._

_"I will never leave you. I give you my word that I shall only leave if you wish me to leave." He promised me._

"So did he?" Nora asked as she clutched Ren to her chest, who looked positively mortified at his position as her security blanket. Ruby snapped back to reality.

"Did he what?" She asked back.

"Did he leave?" Nora asked, sucked into the story.

"Everybody has to grow up some day. I told him to go, and he did." She said, poking her index fingers together. She was feeling rather embarrassed about the whole thing.

"So why bring it up?" Yang asked, remembering all the times Ruby had told her about that imaginary friend. Yang had just figured he was just a character from one of the many stories Ruby had read.

"Because since the attack he came back." Came her reply. Thinking back to the night a few weeks ago when he had returned.

_Ruby found herself standing in a field of flowers, half of the blooms red and the other half black as ink. He stood on the far side of the field, now as grown-up as her. He walked towards her, his black hair and darkened eyes changing back to the familiar light purple and green she remembered. They rushed to each other, petals streaming behind them as they met and hugged as only old friends could. She was surprised at how much better-looking he had gotten, much to her embarrassment. He smiled at her as she blushed at the thought of his looks._

_"It's been a long time my friend. What has troubled you so?" he asked, seeming only to care for her. She told him everything that had happened since he had left. Getting accepted to Beacon. Leading her team. The White Fang and Torchwick. The fight for Vale. He stood there, his serene expression never changing._

_"You have been quite busy. But I know you. You're strong enough to take all this and still be the hero you were meant to be. The hero that you are." He told her, his hand moving to her shoulder. She could only smile at him. He always knew what to say._

_"So where have you been? What have you been up to?" She asked, wanting to hear his story. He took a moment to contemplate his answer. He gazed deep into her eyes, their souls staring deep into each other._

_"I've wandered the world. Seen wonders and met many amazing people. I've been a hero, become a legend like we wanted to be when we were children. But all that is outweighed by this moment. This time with you." His hands held hers, and she could feel a warmth building in her chest._

"Ooooooh, sounds like Ruby has an admirer!" Yang teased. Ruby blushed furiously, pulling her hood up to hide for a moment. When she had put on her cloak, no one could say.

"Really Yang? Really?" Weiss snapped at the older sister in defense of her partner. The others all threw on their remarks about her poor conduct.

"Just doing my sisterly duty." She replied before Ruby continued.

_He turned away from her, looking back the way he had run to her from. He looked back at her, sad for the first time she had ever seen._

_"I must go. But don't worry, a friend of mine will come to aid you. He will find you by following the tracks we've left behind, here in this land of dreams and possibilities. Trust in your friends Ruby. Even the greatest heroes never fought alone." He said, slipping his hands from hers. He turned to leave but Ruby caught his hand, forcing him to pause. _

_"Do you really have to go?" The question came out more choked than Ruby would have preferred. His head dipped, and he sighed._

_"Yes. I'm sorry but this must be goodbye for a time. When my friend finds you, he'll lead you to my home. Then we can let the fates decide." His hand slipped from her slack grip and he faded away as black petals swirled into the sky._

"So you have vivid recurring dreams." Blake said skeptically.

"You have to admit that these seem to be more than just coincidences." Jaune countered.

"He's got a point." Weiss conceded, surprising everyone. "What?"

"Just… oh forget it." Yang said.

Pyrrha looked at Ruby and noticed the book, still sitting unopened in her lap.

"What does the book have in it?" The redheaded champion asked her. Everyone crowded around Ruby as she opened the book. The writing was perfectly legible, and large enough to be read by anyone.

"Two weeks to make the journey. Just as Keeper predicted." Blake read.

"The city appears to be recovering from some kind of attack. Infighting?" Weiss continued.

"The humans train their most capable to fight their wars at the aptly named Beacon Academy." Jaune said.

"Side note: For being a completely different culture, these humans have a proper understanding of the importance of good breakfast food." Nora read the text, scribbled near a doodle of pancakes. "Now I'm hungry. Ren!" Ren jumped for his bed, pulling his sheets up over his head to ward off Nora. But instead of leaping after him, Nora yawned and stretched and fell asleep herself.

"The great silver-eyed hero must be located amongst the warriors of the city, but I have found no sign of her." Yang read. Everyone took the opportunity to momentarily stare at Ruby, whose position holding the book kept them from seeing her embarrassment.

"Possibly being followed, accelerating timetables to reduce opportunity for any unseen dangers to interfere." Pyrrha stated. Without meaning to, a chorus of yawns followed from the group.

"Let's get back to this in the morning after the talk with Professor Ozpin." Yang said before yawning again and leaving the Juniper dorm. Everyone took the opportunity to say goodnight before going to their own beds. No one noticed when Zwei dashed in and grabbed the map from the floor before disappearing again.

* * *

**Side note: Anyone who has read my story Before Dust Settles might recognize Ruby's friend from her dreams. If you don't, don't worry about him. For now.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, that belongs to Roosterteeth.**

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**Chapter 3: Fellowship of the Map**

After everyone had woken up and eaten breakfast, they saw a message from Professor Ozpin telling them to meet in Oobleck's lecture hall. Once they were there, they saw that the headmaster, Glynda, and Oobleck were waiting for them.

"As you may well remember, last night we had two intruders who killed each other on school grounds. But not before one of them managed to pass on a message." Ozpin said, his cup steaming as he took a sip.

"The message referred to a large group in danger and a city named Ranth." Oobleck told them, some of his boundless energy missing, "I have been up since then researching into the name and have turned up a large amount of information about the name."

"So the city is real?" Blake asked, always willing to learn. Oobleck chuckled softly at his favorite student's question.

"It is about as real as Atlantis. That being said Miss Belladonna, it may just as well existed."

"So is it real or not?" Weiss asked, irritated by the circular logic.

"We cannot say for certain but there is mention of a great-walled city of the same name from legend, which begs the question as to how a full city could disappear so completely as this one." Oobleck answered.

"But what about those other things that he mentioned. I think he said Soulless?" Jaune asked, actually interested in learning more about something that sounded like Pyrrha's theory.

"Those were much easier to look into. There have been dozens of archaeological finds depicting them and their various myths. But most of the finds conflict on certain details. The only thing shared between these stories is that these 'Soulless' are a race of all-powerfull super-warriors who hunt Grimm and wield a strange purple haze that is very similar to an Aura."

"Well that sounds useful." Ruby noted, earning a glare from Glynda. Oobleck sighed, before continuing.

"The problem with the conflicts comes from their interactions with humans. Some ancient cultures depicted them as allies of humans, fighting side-by-side. But more often they are depicted as waging war against humans; capturing and killing entire villages."

"So they're bad guys?" Nora asked, just as lost as everyone else. Oobleck brought a hand up to his tired eyes, glad that his thermos was still half-full. Ozpin decided to take over at this point.

"What we're saying is that there are too many unknowns at this point to risk any venture into this. However we will continue to investigate…" Ozpin stopped as Ruby stood up.

"But we have a map and the boy's journal. We could send someone to investigate." Ruby pulled out the small book, and started searching her pockets for the cylinder. "Where is it? We had it last night…"

Ozpin leafed through the book as Ruby and the others started checking to see if any of them had it, or if it had fallen somewhere. Ozpin finished his perusal of the book before calling their attention.

"Headmaster, we all swear that there really is a map. It showed all their cities and even a safe path through the wilds to them." Weiss said, defending her team leader. The rest of the friends all voiced their agreement, trying to corroborate what she had said.

"I am not questioning that. However, considering the stress and exhaustion of the recent weeks, it is possible that you may be misremembering last night."

The eight teens immediately balked at the accusations, their chorus of rebuttals melding into an unintelligible drone. Glynda signaled them to be silent, then let Ozpin continue.

"I know that you all may be thinking that we are not taking this seriously, but consider our position. Vale is only just starting to recover from the recent attack and we need everyone to help in the recovery efforts. With the Vytal festival delayed for the next three months, we simply don't have the spare time and people, we will continue to investigate. Until then, I would prefer not to hear about it. Dismissed." They all got up and left, heading back to their dorms in frustration. Ruby slumped against their now-repaired window.

"So what do we do now?" Yang asked from her spot near the desks.

"We do as we're told. Wait." Blake said, perching on her bed, watching Zwei walk around the room before going towards Ruby.

"Considering you were recently focused on us figuring out what Torchwick and the White Fang were up to, that's not the response I expected." Weiss pointed out, sitting near Yang. Zwei jumped up to Ruby, his stumpy tail wagging.

"Hate to agree with the Ice Queen, but she's right. We all heard those messages. Those people are going to be in danger in a few weeks. We can't just sit and let that happen." Yang told Blake, surprising the two girls. Ruby noticed that Zwei was holding something in his mouth. Something metallic and very familiar.

"Even so, we lost the map somehow. We can't just wander around the wilds, looking for some hidden city." Blake replied. Ruby held out her hand, and Zwei dropped the map into her hand. She closed her hand around it and turned to look at her team.

"Tell the others to get ready for a field trip." She told them, holding up the answer to their questions.

* * *

The teams spent the rest of the week preparing to sneak out after classes ended on Friday. Gathering supplies for the trip, establishing cover stories, and other important things. Sun and Neptune agreed to take care of Zwei for Ruby while they were away.

When their last class ended on Friday, the teams raced back to their dorms and hurried off-campus as fast as the airship could carry them. Once they were in Vale, they quickly followed the map's directions and soon found themselves outside the city and on their journey.

* * *

Glynda walked into Ozpin's office, where he sat enjoying a cup of coffee.

"Do you have any idea where Teams RWBY and JNPR are? They missed their scheduled extra combat practice." She asked, a look of mild annoyance on her face.

"Last I heard, Team JNPR was going to meet family for the weekend and Team RWBY was taking a two-day vacation at the expense of the Schnees." Ozpin replied, not looking up from his cup.

"And the fact that they were last seen riding an airship into Vale together?" Her sneaking suspicion of Ozpin's machinations finding their way into her question.

"They are students, it's cheaper and faster to go in large groups." Ozpin replied, then took a sip of his drink.

"Also, I thought you should know that the tests came back on the sword. Pure ceramic like the other ones we've found." She told him before leaving.

"Why can't anything ever be simple?" Ozpin muttered to himself as he turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk.

* * *

_2 week later…._

Teams RWBY and JNPR were bored at this point. The wide and grassy path they had been following the whole time through the forest had become something of a bore even as beautiful flowers bloomed on bushes and around them on trees. They had trekked hundreds of miles in the last two weeks without a single Grimm sighting or exciting battle to alleviate their boredom. Sure they had seen some amazing places and landscapes they would never have expected to see, but that wasn't nearly exciting enough for them. Eventually the map showed their final destination just around a turn in the path. With the end nearly in sight, the teams raced around the corner and found themselves…. In a clearing at the edge of the forest. They were confused as the map shut down, only displaying "Please Wait" any time they activated it.

"Well, I guess this was a bust." Blake said, sitting on a small boulder that she saw in the long grass.

"But it doesn't make sense. Why lead us here? Why take the time to do something this elaborate and maintain a trail through Grimm territory?" Weiss asked as Pyrrha circled, keeping her eyes on the edge of the clearing for any possible threats. Everyone else took to sitting in the grass in frustration, tired and annoyed by the turn of events.

The map started to shriek and displayed an overview of the clearing with a pulsing dot approaching from the far side. Everyone turned in the direction as the sound of snapping branches and scattering birds emanated from where the map indicated. They were ready for anything. Except for a voice from directly behind them.

"Do you have any idea how late you are?" a newly familiar voice called out to them.

* * *

**_At Beacon Academy….._**

"We need to call off the search Headmaster. There's been no sign of them since they left our borders and we can't locate their scroll signals." The head of search party looking for the missing teens told him over the screen. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do." The channel closed and Ozpin closed his eyes. Thoughts whirled through his mind as he heard the door to his office open. Without opening his eyes, he greeted his guest.

"Hello Glynda." He said as the Huntress came in, sternly glaring at him.

"So they've given up the search for them?" She asked, half-accusing him.

"They have no leads to go on and they were last seen heading south out of the kingdom with enough supplies to stay out there for weeks."

"So they went out to chase down a story told to them by a dying man that promptly disappeared?"

"It would seem so."

"And you let it happen." Ozpin opened his eyes at the accusation, only to be surprised to see the stoic Huntress crying. He calmed the swell of anger inside himself before answering.

"I would not have stopped them had they told me, but I would have sent a larger group out with them. They may be Huntsmen and Huntresses, but they are still children. I wouldn't put them in danger if I didn't think they could handle it." Ozpin leaned back in his chair, "Not to mention they told their friends on team SSSN where they were going and why."

"Sometimes I wonder why you chose her to lead that team." Glynda said, silently cursing herself for the outburst of emotion. Ozpin decided it was best to merely return to his work rather than reveal any more of his metaphorical cards.

* * *

**To give you an idea of how far they traveled in those two weeks, they crossed roughly 800 miles, heading south to the lower section of the U-shaped Vytal continent and turning west towards the center of the bottom curve. Which means they are quite far from Vale and since they weren't reported as missing until the Monday after they left, they were nearly 100 miles from Vale at that point, much too far for any kind of search party to even consider searching for them in that direction.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chatper 4: The Great Discovery**

"Hottie alert." Yang said as they turned to the voice. The others immediately realized it was an understatement. Ruby froze as she recognized the owner of the voice.

Standing behind them was a tall athletically-built boy that appeared about 16 years old and seemed to radiate raw power. His short black hair was the perfect touch of messy and natural. His soft-grey eyes flashed from a perfectly sculpted face. A tight green silk shirt exposed the outline of his muscular torso and his crossed arms highlighted the muscles of his upper arms. His tanned legs stuck out of black shorts and leather calf-high boots. When the group finished their observation of him, they noticed he was smiling.

"I'm sorry if I sounded annoyed. I was expecting you to arrive several days ago. I know the journey was rather long, but if you follow me to the village, we can all spend the rest of the day recovering in comfort." He told them, meeting everyone's eyes with confidence. He stopped when his eyes ended on Ruby. He walked over to her, his head tilted as he inspected her with a critical eye. He narrowed his eyes, concentrating or maybe trying to remember something.

"Not to sound strange, but do I know you? I feel as though I know you. Or it could just be my mind playing tricks on me." He said to her, extending his hand, "My name is Keeper, protector of Village Home. What are your names?"

"Yang."

"Blake."

"Weiss."

"Jaune."

"Pyrrha."

"Nora."

"Ren."

Ruby stood there, still frozen. Yang hurried over to her side and threw an arm around her. The contact jolted Ruby out of whatever stupor she was in, prompting a "Sorry, what?" from her.

"And this is my sister Ruby. She seems to be stunned by your good looks." Yang explained, throwing Keeper a smile.

"Thank you for the compliment. But in truth we must hurry if we want the opportunity to ensure you are properly prepared to stay for the Gathering." He coolly told them before walking away from the forest and further into the clearing. Everyone looked at each other for a second then quickstepped to catch up, other than Yang and Ruby.

"Good choice for your first crush sis." Yang told her, making Ruby blush. Yang hurried to catch up and Ruby quickly followed. They caught up just as Jaune decided to ask a question.

"So what's this Gathering thing?" The leader of Team JNPR inquired, hoping to get some idea of what they were walking into.

"Tracker didn't explain this to you before he sent you out here? Typical." Keeper jokingly mentioned, "The Gathering is a month-long festival held every five years where all the villages come together to celebrate our shared history. And this year's is the 1000th Gathering, meaning everyone from every village will be here. It's going to be the first time our people have come together in their entirety since Ranth fell so long ago."

"Well Tracker was worried that someone was going to betray your people during the Gathering, which is why he sent us." Blake told Keeper, who laughed. Its musical echo swept over them, making everyone's spines tingle.

"Tracker was always paranoid. But he's nothing if not resourceful. But let's get away from why you're here and get to the fun part." Keeper stopped walking, prompting everyone to stop. They looked around them, confused as nothing seemed important about where they were standing. Keeper reached out, his hand grasping something they couldn't see. Without a sign of exertion, he pulled, revealing a doorway that had blended into the surrounding area without a hint of its existence. Keeper ushered them in, and they astounded by what they saw. A large well-worn dirt path wound its ways through rolling farmland to a impressively-sized modern city. Surrounding all of this was a wall taller than even the one surrounding Vale. Keeper closed the door behind them, and stood in their midst. They stood in silence, amazed at the sight of something so massive and permanent existing so far from the known kingdoms.

"That's the usual response." Keeper smiled and started walking again. They followed, still absorbing the sights. "So if you don't know about the Gathering, I imagine you don't know about the Soulless or Ranth's history. So which would you prefer to hear first?"

"The history." Weiss and Blake simultaneously requested. Keeper turned around, easily walking backwards as he narrated:

"Ranth was only a large mining town at the dawn of humanity, but when the Grimm swept through the world, Ranth was spared due to its remoteness and a large focus on defensive tactics from nearby military powers. Eventually it was the only human kingdom and it slowly lost control of its territory until it could barely protect the fields it used to sustain its population.

Then a revolution happened, overturning years of tradition and oppressive rule and Ranth managed to go on the offensive, allying itself with nomadic tribes of surviving humans and Faunus. For a while it seemed like humanity was going to win as more land was secured, more villages sprung up, and the threat of the Grimm faded. But tragedy struck when the vigilant protectors of the kingdom were forced to confront a rising kingdom that saw the weakening of the Grimm as a sign that Ranth was overextending itself.

When they attacked, their kingdom was left defenseless. The Grimm swarmed through it, following the path their army took straight to Ranth. The warriors of Ranth barely had time to recover from repelling the army before the Grimm came. Nearly every warrior died during the battle with the Grimm horde. The few who survived were ordered to retreat and take all the civilians from Ranth through a secret escape tunnel.

Luckily the other villages were spared the horde by the dispersal of the Grimm. Eventually most of the villages up and left as the Grimm made their home in the lands of that kingdom and the ruins of Ranth. The survivors of Ranth went to a coastal village and built ships to sail across the sea, which is how our people arrived on this continent. We've been here, hiding and growing our strength for the day we can reclaim our lost kingdom." Keeper finished his story. No one said anything for a few beats.

"Wow." Yang said.

"How do you know all of this? It almost sounds like you watched all of that happen." Ruby asked, wondering if this was really the same boy that had visited her so many times in her dreams. He certainly looked similar enough, but something was still missing. _Maybe it was his hair color?_

"Because I was there." Keeper grinned, his balance unaffected as the dirt path gave way to smooth cobblestones. Around them small cottages and homes had popped up, but they were still far from the city proper.

"What? That's impossible. You're our age!" Nora commented. Keeper shook his head playfully, savoring their surprise.

"Flattery will get you everywhere. I'm nearly 6000 years old. I'm the oldest surviving Soulless." He told them. They stopped following him, remembering Oobleck's stories about Soulless attacking people.

"You don't hate humans, do you?" Pyrrha asked, wary of any dangerous moves.

"Why would I hate humans?"

"Because our people have stories and records of Soulless fighting and kidnapping humans." Keeper took a second to digest this news, then started to laugh.

"The only time Soulless ever fought humans was when Ranth was invaded. Even then we didn't kill them, only scared them off using diversionary tactics and a few well-placed fireworks. Must have scared them too well."

"Oh, that's good. Sorry about that." Pyrrha said as everyone relaxed.

"So what can Soulless do, exactly?" Blake asked, studying their guide with a new mentality.

"Soulless are created when humans or Faunus undergo a ritual to extract their soul and seal their heart in stone. In exchange for the loss of our Auras and, in the case of every other Soulless some emotional capabilities, we gain near-immortality and command of the Energy. The Energy is similar to Aura, allowing us to manifest personal shields and strengthen our blows to instantly kill any Grimm regardless of their natural defenses. And with each Grimm we kill, our available Energy grows, allowing us to be more effective. In my case, I can use the Energy to not just project solid shields around me, but to create weapons of pure energy and even heal other peoples' wounds. I haven't found the limits of the Energy's possibilities yet." Keeper explained, manifesting a small purple haze in his hand that coalesced into a solid purple rose. He smiled and handed it to Ruby, who was standing the closest to him. She took it with some surprise.

"That sounds totally awesome! What else can you do?" Nora begged Keeper to continue, astounded by the idea of being so powerful that she could crush a Deathstalker in a single blow.

"Those are really the only differences between us and humans. Oh, and our eyes and hair get colored black because coloration is apparently linked to your soul and with no soul, we have no color for the light to reflect off of. There's some more scientific answer to it, but I don't know it off-hand." Keeper mentioned, before resuming his walk.

"I'm confused. Why try to make contact with us? You guys don't look like you need help." Jaune asked, lost in the stories being told. Keeper stumbled, most likely due to the offbeat question.

"For a long time, the survivors thought they were the only ones that got away from Draconia before it was overrun. When your people set-up your global communications network, we became more aware of the world beyond our borders. We can only get unsecured communications and even then they were hard to initially translate, but we've been able to understand that your people have been through nearly as much as ours have. Not to mention we have a common enemy in the Grimm." Keeper stopped as the cobblestones were replaced by blacktop, and gestured to the buildings and streets sprawled in front of him. "Welcome to Village Home, capital of our little kingdom." Ignoring their gasps as they surveyed the soaring skyline and wide streets. Lights and signs flashed everywhere, telling them this was a thriving city. They followed Keeper as he stepped up onto the sidewalk and entered a store named "Kira's Combat Fashion."

Inside the spacious store were racks and shelves covered with clothing. A single attendant stood behind the register desk at the front of the store. She looked about 20 years old, her golden-copper hair hanging loose to her shoulders. The nametag on her black T-shirt read "Kira" and her stressed jeans looked like they were that way from hard work. She looked up at them, revealing emerald-green eyes. Her gaze locked onto Keeper's smiling face and she rushed over to hug him.

"Keeper, where have you been?" She said, squeezing their tour guide tightly.

"Sis, I told you I had some people to meet. These are my new friends…" Keeper gestured to them, "And they've had a long journey. Could you set them up with some fresh clothing to commemorate their first time in our village?"

"Hmmm…." Kira said, a hand coming to her chin as she mused.

"Please? I need to go grocery shopping and I'd rather not drag them along for that." Keeper begged, clasping his hands in front of his face in a display of pure pitifulness.

"Only if you quit it with the look." Keeper immediately smiled and dashed out the door, leaving them with Kira.

"What just happened?" Jaune asked, totally lost as to how things had gotten so strange so quickly.

"Keeper's trying to be a good host. Now which one of you wants to go first?" Kira turned, looking them over with a tailor's eye. The group tried to suppress the awkward feeling they got at the idea of this strange woman giving them a wardrobe change. Kira seemed to sense this, and whipped out a measuring tape. She targeted Ruby first, whirling around her as she rapidly gathered measurements, even going so far as to measure Ruby's shoe size by lifting her leg and unbalancing her. Team JNPR unanimously decided they were better off looking for items on their own as Kira dashed through the store, pulling boxes and clothes from a variety of places.

Eventually the whirlwind that was Kira stopped in front of Ruby, handing her an oversized pile of clothes and shoes before unceremoniously pushing her into a fitting room. Turning back to the remaining three, Kira smiled and sat down on the counter.

"So you guys are from out of town? That's cool. Don't get many people that hunt Grimm and travel." Kira said, her calm demeanor not matching the wild flurry of action they had just seen.

"Wait, how do you know we hunt Grimm?" Blake asked, her bow twitching in mild confusion. Kira seemed to not notice.

"One: You are all carrying weapons that are Grimm-combat rated from what I can see. Two: You're in my shop, which caters exclusively to warriors that want to look good on and off the battlefield. Three: You were here with Keeper. And all he does is fight Grimm. At least he used to." Kira answered.

"He called you his sister, but he says he's really old. So which is it?" Yang asked.

"Both. I'm related to him by being descended from a relative of his. And through some random luck we happen to be close enough genetically that most tests identify us as siblings. We don't know which one since it was so long ago and Keeper forgot his own family when he underwent the ritual." Kira explained, "Besides you and your sister don't exactly look alike either. Believe me when I say I had to resist trying to give her a dress to match the one I envision you in." The others were surprised, no had mentioned Ruby and Yang were sisters to her.

"How do you know that they're sisters?" Weiss leaned in, trying to leverage her "Ice Queen" moniker to its fullest. Kira only smiled in response.

"It's my semblance. I can see the way everything fits and weave together. It's why I'm the best in my business." She said simply. The sound of a door opening made them turn. Stepping out of the fitting room was Ruby, now clad in an entirely different outfit.

The strapless, backless dress she was wearing was a silver corset top that faded into dark red in its combat skirt that was about the same length as her normal skirt. Silver mesh gloves reflected the red around her arms without actually being colored. Around her waist was a black belt with her symbol serving as its buckle. Her stockings were black with silver tastefully threaded in and her boots had been swapped out for a pair of red flats that matched the dress exactly. And her signature cloak was still around her shoulders, keeping her bare shoulders and back covered.

"Baby sis, you look beautiful! How does it feel?" Yang said, swooping over to get a closer look. The other girls came over, admiring Kira's handiwork.

"Pretty good actually. Unlike when you made me dress up for the dance." Ruby said, surprising everyone including herself. Kira crossed her arms in victory.

"I knew I matched it perfectly. Try on some of the other things in there, okay?" Kira asked Ruby, who nodded. She disappeared back into the fitting room before Yang could intervene.

"She's going to have to be careful wearing that dress." Kira observed, confusing the rest of team Ruby.

"What do you mean?" Yang said, worried.

"She'll have all the boys in the village fighting for her attention if they see her wearing it." Kira replied. Without meaning to the three girls chuckled at the comment, prompting Kira to ask, "What's so funny?"

"I think she's got her eye on one boy in particular." Yang answered. Kira's eyes widened at the hint.

"Maybe she can get him to open up." Kira stated, and turned as the front door opened. Keeper walked in, canvas bags full of foodstuffs.

"Hope everyone's hungry for dinner." He said, barely fitting the bags through the door. "What did I miss?"

* * *

**So a few things for this footnote:**

**First, the Soulless are inspired by the mythological creatures known as golems, monsters that were made by shaping clay into a humanoid form and magically imbuing it with its own life but still lacking a true soul or spark of life. The type of golem that I drew from were of Frankenstein-origins with its more dark bend of turning once-living people into a golem, but in this story it goes further and effectively kills a person to make them. An important thing to note is that they do not have auras. I repeat, not aura-based. They are by this world's standards not a group of living things.**

**Second, a few measurements of the dimensions of Village Home. Its wall stands nearly 200 feet tall, except at the north gate where it dips to an unbelievably short 30 feet due to its historical significance. The wall surrounds a perfectly circular area 30 miles in diameter with the city in its center and the city is 10 miles across.**

**Third, the reason they are able to understand each other is that when they first learned of the other kingdoms after the Great War, they bothered to learn their language as a way to promote unity for the day the two worlds would meet.**

**As always, if you have questions you can PM me. Otherwise, please leave a review as they help.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Extended Vacation**

Keeper led them from the store back out to the edge of the city and stopped in front of a large three-story house. The house was painted light purple and the front yard had a small orange tree in it. Not bothering to use a key, Keeper opened the door and stepped in. The others hesitated but still walked in. What they found inside amazed them. A carpeted foyer with a grand central staircase leading upstairs greeted them by the light of a crystal chandelier. They watched as Keeper walked to a door to the left of the staircase and casually kicked it open, revealing a state-of-the-art kitchen in shining chrome and white tile. He set down the bags and came back out, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, let's get you guys situated. Follow me." Keeper motioned to them as he started up the stairs. They followed him wordlessly as he stopped at the landing and turned to the right. A quick glance to the left revealed a closed set of double doors. Keeper walked further down the right hallway, revealing ten doors. He opened one and pointed to them.

"Everyone gets their own rooms. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Bathrooms are at the end of the hall and they also double as laundry rooms. Feel free to explore the house. I'll have dinner ready in an hour and the dining room adjoins the kitchen, so simply use the second door on that side of the first floor." Keeper told them, then left them to their own devices. The teams unconsciously took rooms on the same side of the hall and they all looked into their rooms. Each bedroom was three times the size of the dorms at Beacon and the beds were king-sized. Whoops of joy immediately echoed as Nora started to jump on her bed before she rushed to check out everyone else's rooms. Once everybody had claimed a room and deposited their packs, they met up at the top of the steps, trying to decide what to do.

"First floor or the third?" Yang asked Team Juniper after they decided to divide up to explore.

"Third." Jaune decided, and headed up the stairs, closely followed by the rest of his team.

"Guess we get the fun floor." Yang said to their backs. The four girls walked back down to the first floor, where they could hear the sound of someone cooking from the kitchen and decided to look at the other four doors on the first floor. Opening the one closest to the kitchen they found a dining room already set up for nine people. Not seeing anything interesting, they closed the door and went to the next, which happened to be across the foyer. Inside the next room they found two ornate chairs near a fireplace. Otherwise the room was bare.

"It's a meeting parlor." Weiss noted, before closing the door. The team went to the next room, slightly bored at this point. Opening the door and looking in gave them a pleasant surprise.

A large carpeted living room was highlighted by an enormous wall-mounted TV. Easily 100" across, under the TV it looked like there were videogame systems of all kinds. Sitting on a coffee table in front of three four-person couches were what looked like the controllers and piles of games for the systems.

"Sweet!" Yang said, flopping onto one of the couches, enjoying the perfect balance of support and comfort. The others kept looking and noticed a window that revealed a well-kept backyard with what looked like a greenhouse at the back.

"C'mon on Yang, one more room to check." Blake said. Walking over to the blonde, she started to roll her off the couch.

"But it's so comfortable. And the TV!" Yang protested, only to fall off the couch thanks to Blake's exertions. "All right. I'm coming"

The group left the living room and went to the final door on the first floor. They opened the door and found the backyard they had seen from the living room. A small tile path led from the door to a metal shed and a large greenhouse. They also noticed a small vegetable garden that they hadn't seen before, suggesting that they were going to have some fresh ingredients in their dinner.

"I wonder how he takes care of all this." Yang mentioned, looking at the immaculate yard.

"He probably hires people to take care of it." Weiss answered. She could recognize rich, old-money style living no matter the city or culture.

"Let's go back to the TV and see if we can get it working." Yang decided. The team went back to the living room and found the remote. Turning on the TV, they surfed through the channels before settling on a talk show about the Gathering.

"This year's Gathering kicks off in ten days," The announcer said, "And with Arrival Day preparations already underway, it looks like this may be the biggest and best Gathering in recent memory."

"Dinner's ready!" Keeper shouted, alerting them to how much time had actually passed. They hurried to the dining room and found Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora already digging into a feast. Fresh-grilled steaks, filets, fish, and entire chickens still sizzled on their serving plates. Dozens of vegetable dishes and salads sat out alongside nearly any food they could think of. Everyone eagerly dug in, amazed by the high-quality meal after all the field rations on the journey to the village. Once everyone managed to fill themselves, they were amazed to see all the plates that had been stacked high with food were picked clean.

"Hope you saved some room," Keeper said as he stood, "I've still got my signature dessert." He disappeared back into the kitchen. The two teams looked at each other, wondering what else could be coming.

"So what was on the top floor?" Ruby asked them.

"I found an art gallery. Pyrrha found a library. Ren and Nora found a locked armory. What did you find?" Jaune inquired back.

"He has a huge TV and tons of gaming systems! You should see the size of the thing!" Yang exclaimed, throwing her arms wide for emphasis. Keeper walked in at that moment, carrying a large tray piled high with oversized pink chocolate-chip cookies. Everyone took a second to look at Ruby before Keeper set them down.

"Why are they pink?" Nora asked, hesitantly reaching for one while Ruby had already piled a dozen on her plate.

"They're my strawberry chocolate-chip cookies. Two of my favorite things in perfect harmony." Keeper answered before inhaling an entire cookie to show them they weren't bad. Everyone quickly grabbed a few as Ruby tore through the ones on her plate and on the tray. But she had some competition as Keeper ate like a whirlwind as well. Soon they were down to the last cookie, and their hands locked onto it at the same time. Their eyes met, sparking with fire.

"Normally I would play the host and let you have it, but like I said, they're a specialty and my favorites." Keeper told her, smiling playfully as he secured his hold on the cookie. Ruby's own grip tightened in response.

"If you can take it, try it." Ruby challenged him. Keeper's playful smile turned serious as he focused on the warzone that was the cookie tray. With a burst of motion, he flipped the cookie into the air, forcing the two to leap for it. But Keeper misjudged the gap between him and the table, causing his legs to hit it and him to flop as Ruby caught the flying cookie. She celebrated her victory, eating the cookie as Keeper pulled himself off the table and back to his seat.

"I bow to your superior skill. To the victor, the spoils." He graciously bowed, nearly hitting the table again.

"Now that that's over, what can you tell us about this Gathering festival thing?" Weiss decided to ask.

"It's divided into four weeks devoted to different aspects of our culture. The first week, the Week of Villages, is dedicated to celebrating all the villages and our shared cultures. It starts with Arrival Day, which is when everyone from the other villages actually arrive. The rest of the week has a day specific to each village. Then there is a formal dance at the end of the week." He started to dance in his chair as a demonstration. "I think you would compare it to prom. The second week, the Week of Battle, is dedicated to our warrior history and competitive nature. Re-enactments of various battles are offset by a dozen different sports tournaments." He mimicked several sport actions and actively firing a rifle. "The third week, the Week of Silence, is more about reminding people that someday the Soulless and the Grimm they hunt will be gone. For that week all Soulless leave the village and go out and purge every Grimm they possibly can in massive teams. The fourth week, the Week of Celebration, is just a week-long city-wide party. Of course there's tons of other things going on during all those days besides that." Keeper explained, finished with his impressions.

"What kind of games do you play on that giant TV of yours?" Yang followed up with, flashing a grin of challenge at Keeper.

"I thought no one would ask. Everybody follow me, I have a beta-release of a game and supposedly the multiplayer can support up to 10 players on a single console." They followed Keeper and soon found themselves playing a game all about shooting and fighting Grimm and each other using customizable weapons. Everyone became so lost in the game that they didn't notice Keeper had disappeared.

At one point they paused the game and were surprised to hear the delicate notes of a violin drifting into the living room from somewhere in the house. Leaving the game on pause, they followed their ears to the kitchen and were surprised when there was no one in there. A quick search revealed a large door that appeared to be hiding the source of the music. They opened it to find a well-lit staircase to the house's basement. The violin music picked up its pace as they descended the stairs and found Keeper standing in the center of a spotlight. His eyes were closed as he played the violin. But what was more fascinating was the fact that he was playing the violin shirtless and barefoot. They couldn't help but marvel at Keeper's body and its flawless symmetry as he turned and hummed to the music that he played.

When sandbags flew at Keeper, everyone was surprised. They were even more surprised as he dodged, never opening his eyes or stopping playing his violin. Instead he picked up his tempo and started to dance through the myriad of sandbags as they swung at him from the darkness. Eventually the sandbags stopped coming and Keeper stood in the center of the spotlight again. Ending his performance with a bow, he opened his eyes to notice he had an audience.

Keeper blushed and made a noise that sounded like "meep!" before jumping into the shadows made by the spotlight. He soon reappeared, wearing his shirt but not his boots.

"Sorry about that." Keeper said and clapped his hands. The spotlight faded as other lights came on, revealing the basement was an oversized gym and sparring arena with several doors at the back.

"So that's how you keep your good looks." Yang said, only to be hit in the ribs with an elbow from Blake.

"You play violin? And do it while training?" Weiss asked, seriously confused by the strange turn of events. Their host was gracious but definitely had some quirks.

"Yes and yes. By focusing on the music and continuing to play, I train myself to react solely on my awareness of my surroundings. Plus there's nothing quite as satisfying as finishing a run through my regimen while playing my favorite tune." Keeper explained, staring at the floor. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Goodnight everybody!" Keeper disappeared into a shower of white flower petals, much like Ruby's semblance. They looked at the spot he had been standing and then at each other.

"I guess that's the way the cookie crumbles." Yang punned, earning groans from everyone as they headed back upstairs. Once they were back in the living room, everyone decided to keep playing the game they had left paused.

"He has the same semblance as Ruby." Pyrrha remarked.

"Sis, just ask him out on a date already." Yang told Ruby, who immediately rushed away in the same way Keeper had.

"You can't just push two people together and expect it to work!" Weiss angrily told her, and everyone agreed with her.

"What? It's obvious. They just don't understand it." Eventually they all grew tired and went to their rooms. The doors to what they assumed was Keeper's room were firmly shut and so was the door to Ruby's room. Everyone quickly fell asleep in their plush beds.

* * *

**Notes:**

**So the Gathering is a month-long festival serving the role of every holiday simultaneously. **

**The first week is based around the diverse cultures and cities that make up the kingdom, much like Carnival in Brazil.**

**The second week is closer to the ancient Roman tradition of celebrating religious holidays with battle reenactments and staged fights.**

**The third week is actually nothing more than a big break from the festivities to reflect on the impact that Grimm, Soulless, and fighting have on their people.**

**The fourth week might be better described as a week-long Mardi Gras in New Orleans.**

**Frankly, I don't know if strawberry chocolate-chip cookies actually exist, but they sounded delicious.**

**Finally, a semblance is a physical expression of the person's soul, which makes no sense based off of previously explained story logic. Until you realize that he said the energy replaced their auras, meaning they had a substitute for the requirements of using and having a semblance.**

**As always, feel free to review, suggest, and comment.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Brand New Day**

The smell of bacon and pancakes drifted upstairs, alerting everyone to the fact that it was time to wake up. Everyone thundered down the stairs, not bothering to change out of their pajamas. They found the dining room already set up and stocked with a continental breakfast. There was even a large pitcher of fresh milk sitting on ice. Not waiting for Keeper, they ate as quickly as they could, enjoying the food. Before long they finished and decided to check in the kitchen for Keeper.

"Morning." He said. Seeing Keeper in his pajamas was not what they expected. He wore a black T-shirt that said "My cookies, my rules" over a giant cookie print on his chest. His pajama pants were the same gray as his eyes and dotted with colorful flowers.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?" Everyone asked, not really believing he could make that much food and make it that well.

"I taught myself. Plus it helps that I've had lifetimes of practice." Keeper told them, flipping a fresh stack of pancakes onto a plate. Nora eagerly snatched them up and ate them.

"So you hunt Grimm, play instruments, and cook? Is there anything you don't do?" Weiss asked, expecting him to say no.

"I don't perform for crowds." Keeper replied, snatching up an apple from a bowl and biting into it. "Now let's get ready for the day, I don't want you guys stuck indoors all day." He switched off the stove he was working on and threw the pan next to the sink. He left the kitchen, clearly going to his room.

Once everyone was dressed and ready, Keeper led them back into the city and soon they found themselves back at Kira's store. Inside Kira was waiting for them with several small piles of boxes. Keeper pulled out a small card and passed it to her, and paid for the variety of boxes. He then turned and handed similar cards to each of them.

"These are guest cards that will charge any expense to me. Feel free to go shopping or exploring the city without any worries. Let's meet up back here whenever you want dinner. If you get lost, just ask someone for directions. Have a nice day." Keeper told them before leaving them behind.

"What's got him running?" Yang asked, looking at Kira for the answer.

"His job. As leader of the village, he has tons of daily tasks he has to handle. Is there any places you guys want to go to specifically?" Kira responded. Yang, Jaune and Pyrrha asked for directions to a sparring gym so they could do some practice. Blake and Ren asked for directions to the nearest bookstore. Weiss decided she would just wander the city. Nora wanted to find an arcade. Ruby just asked for the nearest weapon shop since she had broken her whetstone for Crescent Rose. Kira gave them their directions and they all dispersed into the city.

* * *

Yang, Pyrrha, and Jaune found the gym and went in, surprised to see so many people there in the morning. Seeing an open sparring arena, they went for it, only for three people to try and race them to it.

"We were here first!" One of the guys said, claiming it for his group.

"As if." Yang replied, standing up to him. They glared at each other for a moment, then the guy cracked a smile.

"Okay then. 3 on 3 for the mat. Loser waits for the next one to open up in an hour?" He offered his hand, the challenge hanging.

"Hope you brought something to read then," Yang replied, shaking his hand. He went back to his friends and they immediately started discussing strategy. They pulled out their weapons, revealing a sword and shield, two nightsticks, and brawling gauntlets.

"What did you just get us into?" Jaune asked Yang, looking at her.

"You wanted to practice your swordsmanship, now you get the chance." Yang replied. The other group signaled they were ready to go. Yang winked at Jaune before charging in.

* * *

Ren and Blake entered the bookstore, aptly named "Home Bookstore". Looking around the shop, they were immediately drawn to the center display. It advertised a brand-new book titled Awaken My Heart.

"I see you found the newest bestseller. It is quite the read." An old voice said from behind them. They jumped and turned, revealing the voice's owner. A kindly looking old woman stood there, and smiled at them.

"It has everything people are looking for in a story. Action, Romance, Adventure, Fantasy…." She continued, looking at them with a book lover's curiosity.

"But what's it about?" Blake asked, intrigued by the book that had captivated someone as clearly well-read as this woman.

"It's about a young girl and a Soulless who fall in love. I will not say more and spoil the story." She replied, turning to head back to the shop's counter. Blake eyed Ren, who had already opened the book and seemed engrossed. Which shocked Blake as she had never seen Ren even pick up a fictional novel before. Now intrigued, Blake picked up a copy for herself and opened to the first page.

* * *

Weiss hadn't expected to find a Dust Emporium on her walk, much less one that claimed to specialize in "rare and unique types of custom Dust." She entered it, wondering what they could have that she hadn't seen before. She was surprised immediately by the dazzling colors throughout the store. Dust crystals of every possible color and combination lined its shelves and display cases. Maybe she would find something new.

* * *

Nora was having a lot of fun at the arcade. With the card giving her as many plays as she wanted, Nora had already racked up the newest high score on the Whack-a-Wolf machine when she noticed a crowd had formed around another machine. She turned as the crowd cheered, and a kid ran from their midst. Standing tall on a Beat-Beat-Rhythm machine was an older boy, hands thrown victoriously into the air.

"I am the king of dance! No one shall ever claim this castle of mine!" He proclaimed to the crowd. Nora's eyes narrowed as she remembered the last person that had told her that. _Too bad Ren isn't here to see this_, she thought as she stepped up to the other platform. Seeing a challenger had actually arrived, the boy turned to her and "Get ready to lose." Nora just waited for the music to start.

* * *

"Hello?" Ruby called out, looking for someone who could ring up the new whetstone. As she waited, her eyes caught sight of a catalogue named Weapon. _They must be similar,_ Ruby thought as she thumbed through it, remembering her subscription for Magazine. An older man came out and noticed her standing there.

"Just the whetstone?" He asked, typing the price into his register. Ruby nodded and put back the catalogue. She reached for her card only to be interrupted by someone throwing the store's door open.

She barely turned before whoever it was yelled something.

"Coming through!"

* * *

_These guys are good, _Yang thought as she blocked another of Gauntlet's kicks. The two had immediately squared off, using their gauntlets to propel themselves around the arena as the others circled and fought each other. Pyrrha was holding her own against Nightsticks, but he was keeping the pressure on so she couldn't attack back. Jaune was actually on the offensive against his counterpart, all his lessons with Pyrrha paying off. Suddenly Pyrrha broke through the Nightstick's attack pattern and landed a stunning blow, just as Jaune took a shield bash with his chest. The two unpaired fighters turned to each other, ready to continue. _Time to win this thing_, Yang thought, activating Ember Celica's special rounds. She opened fire on Gauntlets, who clearly wasn't prepared for a ranged attack. He went down quickly under the barrage, leaving the match as a two-on-one. The last guy didn't stand a chance as Pyrrha dashed in under the covering fire of Yang. Even Jaune managed to get back in the fight, tripping the guy as he backpedaled. With him down, the victory went to Yang, Pyrrha, and Jaune. Applause rang out for them as they realized they had drawn a crowd. The losing group picked themselves up, and congratulated them.

"How did you modify your gauntlets to shoot ranged explosive rounds like that? I gotta know!" Gauntlets, the group's leader asked her.

"Maybe I'll tell you. If you can beat us tomorrow." Yang told him with a hint of flirtation.

"Challenge accepted." Gauntlets told her before leaving with his friends.

"So Jaune, still want to practice?" Pyrrha asked her team leader.

* * *

_**His hand found hers, and he pressed it to his lips. She looked at him through her veil of tears.**_

"_**You have my word. I won't leave you." He whispered into her ear, savoring the thunder of her heartbeat. She looked at him, tears still streaming down her face as she leaned in to kiss him….**_

A bell sounding startled Blake out of her reading haze. How long had she been standing there? She looked around for Ren and saw him lying on the floor, halfway through the book. Blake looked to the old woman, who smiled at them. Blake scooped up Ren's copy, despite his protests to let him "finish the chapter first," and quickly paid for the books. Dragging Ren outside, they decided to head back to Kira's store, eager to finish their reading.

* * *

Weiss left the Dust shop, her head still whirling from all the new Dust she had come across.

"Light, Steam, Shadow… Where do they come up with some of these?" Weiss asked herself, unconsciously making her way back to Kira's shop. She couldn't wait to test them out.

* * *

Nora was beating the boy pretty badly. Her perfect score was only making the pace get even faster and the boy was barely keeping up as it stood. Eventually the round ended and Nora was victorious. The boy looked at her, panting from exertion as she stood there, hands on her hips.

"Good…game…" He said before passing out. The crowd gathered him up and carried him off, leaving Nora alone with the machine.

"It was good practice. But I need to be better if I want to beat Ren." Nora said to herself before starting another round.

* * *

Ruby ducked as Keeper jumped over her, slid across the counter, and landed out of sight behind it with a crash. Before she could even check on him, another person burst into the shop. The gray-haired man scanned the store, his sour expression not making him look any younger.

"Shop-clerk, have you seen Keeper?" He said, dry voice scratching their ears. The store owner frowned.

"Can't say I have today, Councilor. What happened? He skip a meeting?" The owner replied, and stared at the gray-haired man. The councilor's eyes narrowed, his expression never changing.

"Well if you do, remind him he has a duty to perform." The councilor responded. He glared at Ruby, making her feel very uncomfortable before leaving. Once the door had closed and his shadow had faded, Keeper's head poked up from behind the counter.

"Is he gone?" He asked, eyes barely visible. He hadn't noticed Ruby yet.

"You're clear Keeper." The shop owner told him, smiling, "Why they never check behind the counter I don't know."

"Thanks Lucas. Oh, hey Ruby. As far as anyone knows, I'm not here." Keeper told her, then spotted the whetstone on the counter. "You use a scythe?"

Ruby was taken aback. She hadn't mentioned Crescent Rose and she knew that Keeper hadn't actually seen anyone's weapons back in the clearing. "How did you know?"

Keeper leaned on the counter, a big smile on his face. "I'm something of a professional weapons expert. If it's not too much to ask, might I see it?" Ruby hesitated for a moment, before deciding to pull out Crescent Rose. She activated the scythe's mechanisms, allowing it to unfold to its full-size. She cradled it as Keeper studied her sweetheart.

"You can learn a lot about someone based on their choice of weaponry. It's as beautiful as you are." Keeper told her, missing her blush at the compliment, "I mean between that sniper-rifle core and that perfectly crafted blade, I'm looking at a masterpiece of hard work and skill. Tomorrow, you and I should overhaul my armory. I was going to do it myself but clearly you have the skills which means we can cut some time off of it and have fun working on them." Ruby's blush only deepened as she realized what he was offering was the highest praise he could come up with.

"Uh, sure." Ruby answered as Lucas handed her the whetstone and Keeper jumped over the counter.

"Let's go see what everybody else did with their day." He said as he left the shop. Ruby looked after him, before deciding to follow him.

* * *

"I don't know if I'll be able to move tomorrow." Jaune commented from his spot on Kira's floor as he rubbed his sore muscles. Yang and Pyrrha just looked at him. He had done pretty well facing both of them but he still wasn't the best he could be.

"Then you can come and cheer me on at the arcade tomorrow!" Nora exclaimed. In her excitement, she accidently hit Weiss. The heiress bobbled the Dust vials she had been examining before managing to recover.

"Watch it! These Dusts could explode! Or something just as dangerous!" Weiss warned Nora. Kira sat by and watched the two as Blake and Ren sat alongside her, reading.

"Ask Keeper about the first time he nearly blew himself up using Dust. He has all kinds of stories he could tell you." Kira told Weiss, enjoying the company of so many interesting people. She couldn't help but smile as she noticed Keeper and Ruby walking towards the shop together. She watched as Keeper and Ruby came into the store, laughing.

"You're lying!" Ruby playfully accused Keeper, who was still laughing at whatever he said.

"I didn't. You can't make it up. He seriously put it in backwards. " Keeper said, making Ruby laugh again. This time everyone noticed that they had arrived. "Honestly, it's the smartest people that don't think of the simplest explanations." The two noticed that everyone was looking at them.

"Were you waiting on us?" Ruby asked, looking at everyone.

* * *

After dinner, everyone was lounging around the living room. Except for Keeper, who had gone to the basement to do…. something probably overly complex. Ruby eventually got bored and decided to go see what Keeper was up to. Meanwhile, Nora noticed that Ren was reading. And it wasn't a textbook.

"What'cha reading Ren? Must be interesting if you're reading it for fun." Nora pestered him.

"It's a good book. Now let me finish it." Ren told her, turning the page. Nora wouldn't take that for an answer.

"But Rennnnnnnnnnn! We're all bored, and you're having fun! Share!" Nora whined, snatching the book away from him. Nora took off, running around the room.

"Hey!" Ren said as he gave chase. Blake couldn't help but look up from her copy.

"If it would settle you down, I could read it out loud. It's a very good book." Blake offered as Nora dashed by. The carrot-top stopped, eyes widening at Blake.

"Really?" She asked as Ren wrestled his copy free of her hands.

"Yep." Blake answered, noticing everyone had collected on the couch opposite her. She sighed, thinking about the monster she had just unleashed.

"C'mon Blakey, you promised story time." Yang teased her, watching her teammate closely. Blake simply sighed again, and opened her book to the first page:

"_**What does it feel like?" She asked him, startling him out his thoughts….**_

* * *

"Huh?" Keeper asked, confused by the question. He hadn't noticed Ruby sneaking up on him, he had been too absorbed in his current project.

"What does it feel like to be Soulless?" She reworded her question, shyly avoiding his eyes and noticing what he was doing. She had caught him painting.

The picture he was painting was half-finished but Ruby could tell it could rival anything in a museum for beauty. A mysterious angel stood silhouetted by a full moon, her wings silver against its pale white surface. The angel stood tall, in the heart of a rose-covered meadow. She couldn't see any more as Keeper hadn't painted more yet. He set down his paintbrush and turned to her, his smile lost some of its radiance.

"It's…different. I feel hollow, like I'm missing something important. The Energy once covered the hollow feeling, but now it only makes the hollow deeper. To put it simply, I feel empty all the time." Keeper told her, his smile wavering with his voice.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Ruby started to answer before Keeper waved off her answer.

"You did nothing wrong. It's something I needed to talk about anyways." Keeper picked up his brush and started painting again, detailing the meadow with the skill and patience of a master artist. Ruby decided to leave, but before she could…

* * *

"_**Wait. Stay." He asked her, making room for her on the bench. She gratefully accepted his offer, glad that he hadn't shut her out. She remembered the first time she had met him, but that had only been a dream. But it had been so real. And he was real. Maybe it wasn't a dream. Maybe it was something else…**_

* * *

"Do you believe in visions?" Ruby asked him. He paused mid-stroke, then continued to add more to the painting's night sky.

"When I was younger, I believed in them. Our people told stories of those that followed their visions, of heroes and lovers guided by the things they saw at night in their dreams. But Soulless don't dream. Each night we close our eyes, and every morning we open them. No dreams, no visions." Keeper explained, eyes never leaving the canvas. "Why?"

* * *

"_**I've seen a boy, who looks like you, acts like you, even sounds like you. In my dreams. He's something of a friend." She confessed to him, afraid of the outcome.**_

"_**Oh." He said, thinking. He remembered that last dream, the night he had been changed. He had seen a girl, and they had known each other like only lifetime friends could. But he couldn't remember what she looked like. Or what she said. What could the girl from his dream mean? What could this girl before him mean to him?**_

* * *

"This boy, whoever he is, has been there for me whenever I needed him. He told that he would find a way to meet me in real life." Ruby continued. Keeper stopped painting and turned to her.

"Whether or not your dreams were visions I cannot say. However, his friendship sounds important to you." He said, his eyes searching deep into her soul.

"It is." She said without thinking.

"Then if it helps, I'll be your friend as well." Keeper smiled at her, and turned back to his painting. He looked at it for a time, trying to decide on something.

* * *

"I think that's enough for tonight." Blake told them, closing the book. Everyone looked at her like she had suggested kicking Zwei out of a window. "What?"

"But you can't just stop there! We need to know!" Weiss demanded. Everyone nodded and waited for Blake to continue.

"Not tonight. It's already too late." Blake said amid their resounding groans. "Tomorrow you can go and pick-up your own copies."

"Wait, where's Ruby?" Yang said, looking for her little sister. Ruby and Keeper came back into the room, and noticed everyone sitting across from Blake.

"Did we miss something?" Keeper asked, sincerely confused.

* * *

Once everyone was back in their rooms, Ruby was surprised when Yang came in to check on her.

"Since you weren't there when we talked about it, I thought you should know we're all going to be hanging out together tomorrow. You coming along?" Yang asked her. Ruby put down Crescent Rose and the new whetstone she'd been using to sharpen it.

"No. Keeper offered to let me help him work on his armory tomorrow. You know I can't resist that." Ruby told her, slightly fan-girling at the thought of working on so many weapons.

"No problem then. We'll all let you have your little date with Keeper in peace then." Yang teased, making Ruby annoyed.

"It's not a date!" She half-yelled. She covered her own mouth as she realized how loud she had said it. "We're just friends. Doing something together that we both enjoy."

"Whatever, have fun." Yang coyly told her, knowing she'd planted the first seeds in Ruby's mind. That book had given her some ideas.


	7. Chapter 7

**So this is just a warning that the coming chapter is going to be rather Slice of Life-y since its building up to a festival and there's no real need to fight or have serious combat. Sorry to the action junkies.**

**Chapter 7: Staycation**

Ruby woke up later than she had meant to. At least that's what she assumed because she didn't hear anyone else in the entire house. After getting dressed for the day, she went to the dining room only to find Keeper sitting alone at the table with a pitcher half-full of milk and a plate of large strawberries. He turned to her, and gave a small smile before indicating the chair next to him. Ruby sat down next to him, wondering where everyone else was.

"I hope you don't mind something simpler for breakfast. I woke up and everyone had already left." Keeper told her, sliding the plate in front of her. She eagerly ate the fruit, enjoying her favorite food.

"Another fan of strawberries? Explains why you fought so hard for the last cookie." Keeper smiled as he drank a glass of milk. He set it back down, seemingly unaware of his milk moustache. Ruby quickly swallowed before she choked laughing at him.

"What's so funny?" He asked, but his smile told her he knew what he was doing.

"You got something on your face." Ruby managed, before drinking from her own glass of milk. He waited for her to put down her glass before responding.

"Well then, I moustache you what it is." Keeper joked, fighting not to laugh at Ruby's own milk moustache. Ruby realized what he had done and quickly wiped away the milk as Keeper did the same. They finished their breakfast in comfortable silence and went up to the third floor. Keeper turned left at the landing and motioned to a door on the left with his head. Taking her cue, Ruby opened it. She couldn't help but drool at the sight of so many advanced and unique weapons. Shelves and displays littered the walls and floors, leaving enough room to move safely.

"It's amazing! Are these all yours?" Ruby asked, her excitement building.

"Yep. Handcrafted them as well. And went overboard every time." Keeper replied, pulling a broadsword down from the wall to show her. Ruby studied it, looking at its dark paint and marveling at the interlocking mechanisms that suggested it folded open.

"What else does it do?" Ruby asked, certain that it wasn't just a sword. Keeper smiled and activated a button on the handle. The blade popped open, revealing a series of disc-shaped blades and a launcher.

"Dust-compatible chakram launcher." Keeper told her, pulling one of the disc blades out to show her. He snapped it back into place and closed the broadsword. He set it back in its proper position and swept his arms across the room. "Feel free to touch whatever. They're all functioning. Let me know if you want to test one out."

Ruby's face lit up as she lost herself in the room. Eventually she found a display case that held an unusual assortment of weapons. Pressing her face to the glass to get a better look, she noticed that they all seemed to be made of strange materials. A silvery-white one-handed sword sat between a red-bladed two-handed sword and a bow. Outside of those lay a two-handed mace made from a single piece of stone and what looked like a solid-gold scythe.

"I see you found the only things older than me." Keeper said from her. She jumped back from the display, surprised by his stealthy approach.

"They are?" Ruby asked, covering her embarrassment at jumping.

"Yes. They were wielded by the last heroes of Ranth. The ones who set the city right before the Soulless found their way to Ranth." Keeper reminisced for her, "These weapons are all incredibly unique. Particularly the Dust ceramic swords."

"Dust ceramic swords?" Ruby shot a look at the two swords and their brightly colored blades.

"Don't worry, the Dust in them is totally safe. The process infuses the weapon entirely with Dust, allowing its wielder to use the Dust's ability without actually having to access the crystals or use them up."

"That sounds awesome!" Ruby thought of all the possibilities. Dust weapons that never ran out? Too good to be true. "But what about the other ones in there?"

"Well the bow is made from the wood of an extinct tree. It's also the reason that bird Grimm are called Nevermore. The mace is just a single piece of stone from the original wall of Ranth. And the scythe was made of the first gold taken from the mines that led to Ranth's founding."

"Wow. That's a lot of history."

"It is." Keeper nodded rather solemnly before turning back to his cheerful self, "Do you want to see the library? I think Yang mentioned you like hero stories."

* * *

Yang left the others to continue reading in silence. Not that she didn't want to keep reading; it was giving her all kinds of ideas. But there was something she needed to talk to Kira about. Walking back to the store, she found Kira finishing up a sale. After the customer left, Kira smiled at Yang and motioned her over.

"What brings you here?" She asked the blonde, leaning on her counter.

"Keeper and Ruby are on a secret date today. But neither of them really knows it." Yang told her, recounting the discussion last night and everyone leaving early this morning.

"You might be one of the most devious people I've met. How long before they realize what's going on?"

"Ruby's already got a huge crush on him now that she found out he's a real guy, but she doesn't want to act on it."

"I'm going to chalk up the first part of that to your story about her dreams. And Keeper is too dense to realize that. Age does not equal wisdom." Kira sighed, "The problem is how to get them to realize it for themselves without forcing it."

"Doesn't your semblance let you see what way they fit together?" Yang remembered, looking at Kira intently.

"If you're asking whether I've looked at them with it for the answers, I have. The problem is their connection is already stronger than any I've ever seen. But it's also deeper and more integral than even a blood tie. Something has threaded them together in such a way that they're locked to each other, but it's not something tangible. Something has to give them a push."

* * *

"Coffee break?" Keeper inquired, looking up from the pistol hand-axe he was cleaning. Ruby set down the shotgun-mace she was working on, and nodded. They left the house together, going to a small coffee shop around the corner. Keeper walked up to the counter first, deciding on his order.

"I'll have a medium coffee, with cream and five sugars please." Keeper told the barista, and stepped aside to let Ruby order.

"Uh, make it two please." She told the barista. The barista nodded and set to work. Within a few minutes they had their coffee and Keeper had paid. They decided to sit at a café table outside and enjoy their well-earned break. Keeper sipped his coffee with his eyes closed, savoring its warmth more than its taste.

Ruby studied Keeper, mind reeling. It was as if the universe had made him just for her. His love of weapons, his sense of humor, his looks, his kind heart, everything. And the worst part for Ruby was he seemed to not understand that she had a crush on him and everything he did made it stronger. Keeper paused, opening those eyes that filled her with an unusual warmth to look at her.

"If you just sit there and drift off, your coffee will get cold." Keeper reminded her, pointing to her untouched cup.

"Oh, right. Just wondering what everyone else is up to." Ruby covered for herself, quickly draining the cup. Keeper raised a single eyebrow and smirked at her as she felt the coffee hit her system.

* * *

Ruby couldn't sleep that night. Drinking her coffee that fast might have been a bad idea. She decided to go get a glass of water to try and soothe her restlessness. When she made it down to the kitchen, she thought she heard something in the basement. Taking her glass of water with her, she discovered the sound she heard was a piano. A slow waltz was drifting through the room. Sitting at the piano was Keeper and the basement had changed from a sparring arena to a music hall. Not far from the piano was a large two-person couch. Ruby decided that she was going to listen to Keeper play. Keeper didn't seem to notice as Ruby sat on the couch behind him. The song ended and he turned to look at her.

"Couldn't sleep either?" He asked, flipping through a collection of sheet music before deciding on none of them.

"Coffee might've been a bad idea." Ruby acknowledged sheepishly. Keeper gave her a soft smile before replying.

"Well at least I have good company." Keeper's hands idly tapped on the keys of the piano, improvising their own melody. She looked at him as he watched his own hands play.

"You have nearly every kind of weapon in the world in your armory, but I don't see you carry any. What do you use to fight Grimm?" She asked, the question secretly waiting to be asked since she had seen the armory.

"I use the Energy to construct whatever weapon I want to use for that fight. I mastered all of them, but like most warriors, I started out learning a single weapon." Keeper replied, fully turning to her.

"What weapon was that?"

"Myself. I started out as a hand-to-hand fighter, which I augmented with my speed semblance. Then I started to learn every other weapon to use in conjunction with my fighting style and from there its just history." Keeper replied.

"So you learned how to fight before you learned how to use a weapon?" Ruby looked at Keeper. She wouldn't have expected that answer. He just didn't have the look of a brawler, in her opinion.

"If you want, I could give you lessons in hand-to-hand. Nothing too strenuous, just so you can still be a threat without Crescent Rose. It's not a slight against you, or anything like that. I'm babbling now." Keeper stopped himself, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment. All Ruby could think about was how endearing the move made him.

"Sure." She answered, remembering Mountain Glenn and the disastrous consequences of losing her sweetheart. She yawned, finally feeling sleepy. Keeper motioned for her to come sit on the bench with him, and she obliged. He turned back to the keys and smiled at her.

"A quick lullaby and we'll both be able to sleep." Keeper started to play it, soft notes rolling over them like a warm blanket. Ruby felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she leaned into Keeper to stay up. She could feel the warmth of him on her face as she drifted off to sleep.

Keeper felt her lean into to him as the music set her to sleep. He felt the lullaby already affecting him as he picked her up, still humming the melody. He started for the couch, and managed to set her down. He turned to leave but he felt sleep pull him to the couch beside her.

* * *

Ruby was confused when she didn't wake up in her bed. Taking a moment to remember, she realized she was probably on the couch in the basement. But what confused her was what she felt wrapped around her. Reaching up to give herself a little tap to wake up, her hand clumsily found her cheek as the last vestiges of sleep fled. Blinking at the soft lighting of the basement, she looked down at herself. Her legs were propped up on top of someone else's. The mysterious thing wrapped around her were a pair of arms. Arms that looked very familiar.

Turning her head, she found herself face to chin with Keeper, who was deep asleep. She was immediately torn between freaking out and going back to sleep. She wanted to freak out that Keeper had apparently fallen asleep beside her and they had apparently spent the whole night together down here with her in his arms. But it felt so natural to her, to have his warmth at her side, to have his arms wrapped around her, that she just wanted to sleep knowing that he was there for her. Her crush on him was only getting worse. The flutter of his eyelids stopped her thoughts in their tracks. Keeper's eyes barely opened, but Ruby could still see the beautiful soft gray irises hiding underneath. He froze, his eyes flying open with slight panic. When he saw it was her, he calmed for a second only to blush and pull himself away. Sliding himself over the back of the couch, Keeper stood up, his face fully red.

"Sorry, it was…. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't offend. I meant to let you take the couch and then leave but I was too tired to even do that. I barely managed to get over to the couch without falling asleep." Keeper tried to explain, his face as red as any tomato. Ruby couldn't help but laugh softly as he stuttered and tried to apologize.

"It's okay. Nothing bad happened. Let's just get ready before anyone else wakes up." Ruby told him before starting up the stairs. Keeper quickly followed, relieved he hadn't done any damage to their friendship.

* * *

For the whole day, everyone went their separate ways. Ruby ran into them occasionally as she wandered the city. But she didn't see Keeper until dinner. When she looked at him during dinner, she could see he was exhausted but he hid it behind long blinks. When everybody split up after dinner, Ruby went to the basement to see it had transformed back into a training area. Keeper was already down there, a punching bag dangling from a chain as he circled it. When he saw her standing there, he smiled.

"I was hoping you would remember. Now let's start with the basics…" Keeper instructed her. It wasn't long before Ruby started to catch on and before she knew it she was hitting the punching bag with enough force to actually make it sway. Eventually Keeper called a stop for the night, and set about leaving. He paused at the top of the stairs, unsure of what to do.

"If I hadn't gotten such a great night's sleep last night, I might not have been awake through dinner." He told her, before disappearing. Ruby couldn't help but realize the implications of what he said.

* * *

The next four days flew by as the teams spent their days wandering the city and evenings telling stories and listening to Keeper talk about some of his exploits. But for Ruby, the highlight of her day was when Keeper and she would train together. No one would bother them as they trained and chatted. And Yang had stopped pestering her about Keeper now that she found out that he was teaching her.

But with heavy rains trapping them inside for another two days, Ruby couldn't help but feel excited when Keeper told them they were all going to go play soccer to blow off some excess energy. Leading them to a nearby sports park, Keeper seemed eager to play a game that both he and the teams knew. When they found the soccer field they noticed seven teens already on the field, kicking a ball around for fun. The surprise for the teams was when they realized half of the kids were Faunus, making them the first they had seen in Home.

"Faunus and Humans get along here?" Blake asked Keeper, shocked by the possibility.

"Of course." Keeper told her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. He went over to the group as the teams looked at each other. _Total equality? _They all thought to themselves_. _Every day they spent here it seemed more like paradise compared to Vale and its problems.

"Hey! They're up for an 8-player team game! Let's play!" Keeper yelled to them from the field. Eager to play, the team rushed down.

* * *

Yang, Weiss, and Blake stood as the forwards for their team as Ruby and Nora took mid, Pyrrha and Jaune were defense and Ren was the goalie. Keeper was playing goalie for the other team, honoring his hometown alliance for the game.

The game started quickly, surprising the Vale team as the teens drove straight to the goal and scored within a minute. Realizing they weren't just playing some ordinary kids, they stepped to the challenge. The next ten minutes were spent fighting to push through their defenses to the goal. Yang managed to break away, Blake and Weiss following her. Yang fired at the goal, only for Keeper to block it. The ball bounced towards his teammate only for Weiss to intercept, taking her own shot. Keeper blocked the ball high into the air, looking to buy some time for his defenders. But Blake didn't give him a chance as she jumped up, bicycle kicking the ball back at the goal. With an amazing catch, Keeper stopped the ball and defeated the entire offensive.

"And the crowd goes wild as Keeper saves the Home team from a powerful offense!" A voice announced over the speakers. Still holding the ball, Keeper turned to the stadium's press box.

"Johnathan, did you break into there just to announce?" Keeper shouted.

"Maybe." Came the response.

"I have the keys, all you had to do was ask." Keeper told him. Turning back to the game at hand, Keeper punted it away. The two teams battled for a while, neither breaking past each other's mid-fields. Then halftime was called, allowing the teams to strategize.

"Okay, it's time to break out the secret weapon." Yang told the team, confusing everyone except Ruby.

"I'm on it." She told Yang, surprising the others.

"She's the secret weapon?" Ren asked skeptically.

"Hey, she was a team captain at Signal." Yang told them.

"Then let's win!" Weiss announced as Keeper's team took the field. Ruby lined up to take the start, baffling the other team. When the second half started, Ruby drove down the field, the other team unable to stop her as she dribbled past them with ease.

"And looks like the opposing team's cloaked crusader has beaten her way past the Home defense and is now charging at the goal." Johnathan announced as Ruby broke away, the only obstacle left being Keeper. She charged ahead, testing his resolve.

"What is going on?" Keeper rushed forward, looking to force her shot wide, but Ruby knew what he was doing. A quick side-step would have made it an easy shot. If Keeper hadn't made the same move. Ruby realized the gap was closing between them and there was no way she could make the shot then. She tried the side-step trick again, only to be surprised when Keeper slipped in the mud, giving her the opening for a free shot. As she passed by Keeper, she could see his surprise as his legs left the ground. He landed in the mud just as the ball hit the net.

"In a stunning move, Keeper has been scored on." Keeper pulled himself up from the mud, looking at Ruby with a smile.

"No more taking it easy." He told her, his face filling with the thrill of competition. Ruby could only smirk childishly at him. The rest of the half was brutal as each team made dozens of shots at each goal only for none of them to score. With two minutes left, Ruby got the ball and took off with Yang and Nora as her wings. They pressed through the Home team, leaving Ruby alone against Keeper.

Once again Ruby raced at him, but Keeper wasn't leaving the goal this time. As the timer counted down, Ruby went to kick the final shot of the game. Only she slid on the mud, missing the ball and barreling straight into Keeper. They fell in front of the goal, Ruby landing on top of Keeper and their faces mere inches from each other. Neither noticed as Yang ran up and scored the easy goal before the buzzer sounded. Nora started running around, singing "We are the Champions!" as Keeper's team came to check on him. Ruby and Keeper simply stared into each other's eyes, not knowing what else to do.

"C'mon sis." Yang said, pulling Ruby to her feet as Keeper sat up, still looking stunned.

"Good game." He told them, walking off in a daze. His teammates ran up to check on him, but he waved them off. He disappeared into flower petals as he used his semblance to race away.

"In an unexpected twist, the Home team with the aid of the previously unscored-on master goalie Keeper was defeated by the brilliant tactics of their challengers." Johnathan concluded before turning off the scoreboard and announcing system. Keeper's team dispersed as the friends came together.

"You okay Ruby?" Juane asked his fellow team leader, worried.

"I'm fine. Keeper broke my fall and kept me out of the mud." Ruby told him, staring at the spot Keeper disappeared from.

"Then what was that all about?" Weiss inquired, referring to Keeper's disappearing act.

"Maybe he got hurt. Catching a speeding Ruby couldn't have been easy." Nora pointed out, stopping her victory song.

"Maybe." Ruby said, turning back to her friends, "So what do we do now?"

* * *

Kira sat at her favorite café, enjoying the day off from work. With Arrival Day tomorrow, she knew most people wouldn't be shopping so she had closed the store. She heard the rustle of flower petals before looking up from her cup of tea.

"Try not to leave a trail. What happened?" Kira asked a mud-splattered Keeper, who had sat down across from her. He looked at her without his usual smile.

"I… I felt… at peace. Complete. Like everything in the world was right. I don't know how to explain it." Keeper answered as he told her about the soccer game. He looked at her with fear in his eyes, the terror and excitement of the unknown hitting him in equal parts.

_He always was an adrenaline junkie. _"Sounds like you have your first crush." Kira sipped her drink, watching Keeper's face as he tried to process the idea. When he started laughing she knew it was about to get interesting.

"Me? A crush? On her? Funny, sis, funny." Keeper whooped out. When he realized she wasn't laughing, he stopped, looking at her blankly.

"I'm not joking. You two would be cute together." Kira told him

"What? As if. She's amazing and all, but she's from another kingdom. And human." His gaze fell to the ground in a mix of regret and shame.

"You two have become quite good friends already, despite only knowing each other less than two weeks. The next logical step is…" Keeper cut her off by standing up, looking at her.

"No. I can't and you know it. She wouldn't because she won't understand. Leave it before you get any more ideas." Keeper told her, before disappearing into flower petals. Kira sighed, pulling a stray petal from her tea.

"He really needs to stop doing that." She said to no one in particular.

Everyone was sitting around the dinner table after finishing eating, glad to see Keeper was back to his normal self. When the doorbell rang, everyone followed as Keeper opened the door to reveal Kira.

"Glad to see I didn't interrupt dinner." She said, walking in and looking right at Yang. "C'mon, we got some things to discuss. Older sister things." Yang looked at the others, glad to see they were just as confused as she was. Kira simply grabbed her arm and dragged her outside. The group looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"So, who's up for more _Gr1mm Night Apocalypse_?" Keeper offered, and everyone agreed to the idea of a game.

* * *

"So what was so important you had to drag me out of the house?" Yang asked Kira as they stood by the orange tree in the front of the house.

"A new development. Keeper's got his own crush. On Ruby." Kira smiled victoriously.

"So how much longer, do you think? We'll need to leave after the Gathering so everyone back home stops worrying." Yang told her.

"Why would your people are worried about you being here? Are you not supposed to be here?"

"Not exactly…" Yang avoided Kira's stare. Kira looked at her quizzically before dismissing her question. Keeper's guests had been strange from the moment Kira had met them.

"Good. I think it will be about two weeks when they have to be separated for the Week of Silence. Now we just sit back and watch." Kira reached into her pocket, pulling out a thick stack of tickets. "Before I forget. Tickets for tomorrow's concert. Make sure everyone gets them. It's supposed to be the best concert of the century." She gave them to Yang and left.

"This trip just gets stranger and stranger." Yang muttered to the night before returning to the house. She found everyone sitting in the living room, playing games. Everyone except Keeper and Ruby.

_He'd better not mess with her heart_, she thought as her eyes flashed red before going back to normal.

* * *

"Good session Ruby! You should be able to hold your own in a fight now." Keeper praised her after they finished the day's session.

"It helps that I have a good teacher." She replied, glad to spend time with him even if he didn't know how much it meant to her.

"It also helps that you might be the best student I've ever had." Keeper told her. He took down the punching bag and went to a back room of the basement. When he came back, he had his violin. He pulled the couch out from its spot on the wall, and sat down looking at Ruby. She sat down next to him, enjoying his company.

"So tomorrow is Arrival Day, and I was wondering if you and the others would accompany me to the Arrival day ceremony." Keeper told her, setting the violin down.

"Why not ask everyone else?" Ruby asked, looking at him.

"Because they follow you in the same way my people follow me. Besides, it wouldn't be the same if you didn't want to come." Keeper smiled at her, giving her that weird warm feeling in her chest. She nodded her agreement and Keeper picked up the violin. He played it, sitting next to her and humming along. Ruby rested her head against the couch, letting the music roll over her. Before long she lost track of time and drifted off. Keeper shook her awake, a playful smile on his face.

"You can tell me if I bore you that much. But it's getting late." He told her, helping her up. She shook her head and went to her room, where she changed into her pajamas and went back down to check on Keeper. She found him asleep on the couch, and came to the irrational decision of curling up on the couch next to him. She listened to the rhythm of his breathing, letting it draw her closer. She nestled her head into him, letting his arms reactively pull her to him. She felt him sigh in contentment. She closed her eyes, sleep coming easily.

* * *

**What is the mysterious bond that has drawn Keeper and Ruby together? Is it love? Is it the mysterious person from Ruby's dreams? Or is it that Keeper has a Yang-doppelganger as his 'older' sister (sarcastic option)? **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Wake-up Call / Alt: On the Rocks**

_Keeper found himself on the empty streets of Ranth, looking just as he remembered them. But he knew they had been destroyed ages ago. Was this a dream? How was that possible? He saw a flash of color, a red garment, as its wearer ran around a corner. Giving chase to the mystery person, he followed them through the streets his prey easily keeping ahead of him even as he used his semblance. _

_Eventually they took the stairs up the wall, forcing Keeper to search each landing for any sign of the person. He emerged at the top of the wall, just in time to see the mystery person jump from the wall. He rushed to the edge, expecting to see their plummeting form. Instead he saw nothing as a shadow swept over him. A winged shadow._

Keeper bolted awake, confused. He felt a weight on his chest, so he looked down. He saw Ruby peacefully asleep, her head on his chest and his arms wrapped around her. Without meaning to he breathed in her scent, catching a hint of fresh roses. _A perfect bloom_, he thought to himself. He studied her, feeling that sense of completeness at the mere sight of her.

_She will leave, as all mortals must. Your duty is more important than any one person or their happiness, even yours._ His thoughts nagged him, threatening to tear this moment away from him. He felt something shift, and looked at Ruby. She was waking up, stretching and looking at him with slight embarrassment.

"Normally I wouldn't complain about a sleepwalker wandering my home, but I would almost wonder if you went out of your way to find me." Keeper teased, trying to cover the ache already replacing his sense of peace as he let go of her.

"Sorry." Ruby apologized, blushing at him.

"No worries. I try to be the best host I can be, even if it requires me to serve as a pillow. Breakfast?" He smiled to her_. You are alone_, the intrusive thought pushed its way in as he walked up out of the basement.

* * *

After breakfast with everyone, Keeper led them to a large stadium. Already tons of people had filled the seats in specific sections, but Keeper led them down onto the main floor, and up onto a stage set up with a line of chairs and a speaking podium. Pointing to a section of seats marked "Reserved," Keeper let them take their seats as he went off to speak to what looked like a maintenance worker.

"It looks like this stadium could hold everyone in Vale, Atlas, and Vacuo with room to spare." Blake said, studying the tightly-packed sections of seating when the rest of the stadium was open. Keeper returned, followed by a dozen officials in various levels of professional dress. Keeper stood out from them in his relaxed jeans and sleeveless white shirt. He smiled to them as he took the seat between them and the other officials who looked at them with confusion. A gong sounded from behind them, and an official made his way to the podium.

"From the east gate, Village North!" He proclaimed, waving his hand in the direction of the gong's sound. They turned in their chairs and watched the spectacle. Thousands of people marched into the stadium, flanked by Soulless warriors dressed in full armor carrying banners with the design of a four-fingered claw on a snowflake. They filtered into the stands around the gate they entered through. As they finished seating themselves, a trumpet belted. Pointing directly in front of them, the official introduced the next village.

"From the west gate, Village Rock!" Again, thousands of people entered, flanked by Soulless warriors, the only difference being the banners bearing the image of a mountain rising from a desert. As they were seated, a cowbell rang out its metallic call.

"From the south gate, Village Tree!" Their banner was a blooming tree, its roots exposed. This time the instrument of choice was a steel drum.

"From the north gate, Village Anchor!" The image this time was an anchor half buried in a wave. Once all the villages were seated, there wasn't an empty seat left in the stadium.

"Wow. That's a lot of people." Yang said, watching as the official took a seat.

"200,000 citizens including 10,000 Soulless warriors trained and created by me. Approximately." Keeper replied, standing up and going to the podium. Everyone in attendance started to cheer and shout for joy, their excitement filling the air with enough energy to make everyone's hair stand on end.

"Greetings brothers and sisters! For those that do not know or simply forgot, my name is Keeper!" he announced over the roar of the audience. "Welcome to Village Home! Now does anybody remember why we're all here? Because I forgot." His joke was met with unanimous laughter from the crowd.

He let out a little laugh of his own before continuing, "Today marks the start of our 1000th Gathering! 5000 years we have been one people, one nation, one heart! It is my greatest honor to tell you that we are not alone in our fight! With us today are representatives of the other human kingdoms!" His hand swept over Ruby and the rest of the group to the roar of the crowds, "Now let's show them how we celebrate camaraderie!" The crowd rose to its feet, thundering as they raced out of the stadium. Turning back to everyone else on the stage, Keeper smiled. "Let's go before they run out of tokens for the rides."

* * *

The next few hours flew by as they found themselves in a city-wide carnival of rides, games, and vendors. Keeper got dragged away from them by the officials from the stadium. Before they knew it, Yang reminded them of the concert tickets and the group went to the park where the concert was being held. The front-row tickets they had been given were perfect for them to watch the concert. As the concert got ready to start, they felt bad that Keeper was going to miss it. Until he walked onto stage.

"Hey everybody! I got asked to do this, so I didn't want to be rude and refuse. Which means if anyone asks if you saw me here, what do you say…?" Keeper opened with. The crowd immediately answered "No!"

Keeper smiled and said, "Good to know we're on the same page. Speaking of pages, let's introduce our first act, Cover to Cover!" He left as a band came onto the stage. They started playing pop music that they had never heard before, but all agreed was pretty good. For the next five hours, they sat and listened as rock, alternative, hip-hop, and other pop artists played and Keeper emceed the concert. After a big final performance by all the bands, Keeper announced the end of the concert. With it over, everyone dispersed, but the teams waited for Keeper to come out. He jogged up to them, looking flushed from the performance.

"Hey, how did you guys get tickets? They sold out months ago." He asked, looking at them. He came to the realization as Yang answered.

"Kira." He shook his head. Sometimes he thought Kira knew too many important people.

"Well, there's a play going on later. It's free to get in and it's always something different each Gathering. Do you all want to go?" Keeper asked, looking excited by the prospect. Yang saw the opportunity, as strange as it was, and seized it.

"Sure, meet up at the house in an hour?" Yang responded with, and Keeper nodded before running off. They all went about the city, familiar with sections after days of exploration. Yang carefully picked her moments to lose everyone except Ruby. Heading back to the house, Yang texted everyone to stay out as Ruby wondered where everybody had gone. While they waited for Keeper to turn up, Yang set the final piece of her plan in motion. She sprawled out on the couch, and did her best to pretend that she had fallen asleep.

"Yang?" Ruby asked, poking her sister. Yang did her best to not react, making a muffled grunt before giving a convincing snore. Ruby pouted on a different couch, mad that Yang had fallen asleep. Normally she was the last one to go to sleep, annoying everyone else in the dorm, especially Weiss. Ruby heard the front door open and went out to see who it was.

She was surprised to see Keeper there with a bouquet of flowers. He looked around as Ruby ducked back into the living room unnoticed. She gave Yang a push off the couch, hoping to wake her so she wouldn't be alone with him. Yang barely managed to keep up her charade as she hit the floor. Unfortunately for Ruby, the sound of Yang hitting the floor made Keeper come running.

"What happened?" He asked, surprising Ruby. He quickly noticed Yang on the floor and noted Ruby standing there, looking flushed from some exertion. He set the flower bouquet down carefully and smiled at her.

"Wanted me all to yourself that bad?" Keeper teased, making Ruby flustered.

"I was trying to wake her up!" She explained, making him chuckle. He handed the flower bouquet to Ruby, making her pause. She studied the small bouquet, letting their fragrance wipe away her shock.

"Why give me these?" Ruby questioned him, trying not to think of them as the cliché date gift.

Keeper rubbed the back of his head, mildly embarrassed, "I ran into Kira and she said something about giving flowers to people that you mean to go to the theater with is a custom. She seemed rather sincere about it too."

"I don't think that's real." Ruby managed. Keeper shrugged his shoulders, unsure of the answer himself.

"If no one else is here, do you still want to go? You don't have to if you feel uncomfortable about it." Keeper suggested. Ruby had to close her eyes as she battled her feelings for Keeper. Sighing in defeat, she answered.

"No, the two of us can go. It's not like we're not friends." Ruby started to head for the door, and Keeper hesitated.

"Friends. Sure." He said to himself. Yang barely managed to keep up her charade until she heard the front door open and close. Jumping to her feet, she raced out of the house, set on finding her co-conspirator.

* * *

The theater had quickly seated Keeper and Ruby in their own private viewing box, giving them a perfect view of the stage while keeping them separate from the rest of the audience. Ruby decided to look at the playbill instead of thinking about how private the viewing box was.

"'The Fall of Ranth: A Tale in Two Acts,'" She read aloud, and she heard Keeper's breath hitch. She looked at him, and saw he had become ghostly pale. "Are you okay?"

Keeper shook his head hard, his natural color returning before he answered, "I'm fine. Bad memories." He then got silent as the house lights went down and the curtain rolled back.

Onstage were two actors in a small office. The one actor stood, his dyed-black hair pulled back in a short ponytail. The other sat at a desk, his long beard at odds with his short haircut. A wall could be seen out the office's window.

"Corvus, these reports are worrying. We've never seen activity like this." The standing actor told his counterpart, pointing to papers on the desk. The sitting actor, Fake-Corvus, looked at him with a critical eye.

"That may be Keeper of the Way, but that does not mean we should jump to conclusions." He responded.

"Jump to conclusions? You chose me to be part of your council so we wouldn't lose sight of our oaths." The onstage Keeper accused Fake-Corvus.

"Very well. Take Silent Scout and prove your theory before I act on it." Fake-Corvus ordered. Fake-Keeper frowned and exited the stage, grumbling. The scene shifted to Fake-Keeper and an incredibly tall older man looking over a war camp.

"We must return to Corvus Silent Scout. There is our proof." Fake-Keeper told his companion before they snuck away carefully.

"That's not even how it happened." The very close, very real Keeper next to her huffed. "This makes me out to be much more immature than I was."

"You could go and tell them that." Ruby suggested as the scene shifted again. This time Fake-Corvus and Fake-Keeper stood atop what looked like a stone wall.

"You were right. On more than one theory." Fake-Corvus admitted to Fake-Keeper, who frowned.

"'Tis only a hollow victory then. We must prepare for war." Fake-Keeper said, before leaving Fake-Corvus on the wall alone.

"Fates watch over us in these coming days." Fake-Corvus prayed before the curtains closed for intermission. Taking advantage of the time to stretch their legs. Ruby visited the souvenir shop and saw a pendant with the ancient seal of Ranth on it. She impulsively grabbed two, and quickly paid for them. She went back to her seat and slid the bag under her seat as Keeper took his seat next to her, his arm unintentionally draping across hers on the shared armrest. Or maybe he meant to do it. She didn't get a chance to check before the second act opened with Fake-Keeper standing alone before a dozen armed soldiers.

"You think you can defeat me?" He boasted, "How can you best one who commands the forces of the world itself?" Colorful fireworks went off behind him, surprising Ruby and making her clutch Keeper's arm instinctively. As the soldiers onstage panicked, Ruby realized what she had done. Was still doing. She let go, feeling her face grow warm as she tried to focus on the actors.

"Not quite as impressive as the real thing." Keeper whispered, sending an unintentional shiver down her spine. The soldiers fled before Fake-Keeper who stood triumphant as the audience clapped. The scene ended and it soon opened with Fake-Keeper and Fake-Corvus on top of the wall again.

"Keeper, with that threat dealt with, we must prepare for the Grimm horde." Fake-Corvus said, his expression grave.

"We should prepare the humans to evacuate. Then we need to choose who will go with them to ensure that they will be able to escape the Grimm," Fake-Keeper agreed. The two started to toss ideas back and forth about what to do as Ruby heard the wood of the armrest softly groan under Keeper's clenched hand.

"When we discussed what to do about the Grimm, Corvus and I argued viciously for hours." Keeper told her, eyes unseeing as he was lost in the grip of his memories. Now intrigued, Ruby turned away from the play to better listen to Keeper.

"He ordered me to go with the humans, to protect them outside the city." He whispered, unfocused eyes reflecting the stage lights. "But I told him that if any Soulless should go with them, it should be him because he was the first, the greatest, and our leader. When the argument became too much for him, Corvus knocked me out." Ruby turned away from Keeper as the actors onstage depicted the Grimm overrunning Ranth's defenses and the last moments of the Soulless defenders.

"Corvus! We must flee!" Fake-Keeper told his leader, who was clearly wounded.

"I cannot. My time comes now. You must escape Keeper, to protect them. I will give you as much time as I can. Now go!" Fake-Corvus valiantly hobbled in the direction of the offstage fight, leaving Fake-Keeper to decide. With anguish on his face, Fake-Keeper turned away from the fighting and fled offstage. The scene ended and the curtain closed to the clapping of the audience.

"When I awoke, several people had carried me out of the city with the refugees. They had to restrain me to prevent me from going back. I felt like a failure. But worse was the loneliness of knowing I was the going to be the only one to truly survive." Keeper told her as the curtain opened. She knew exactly how he felt. Her secret fear was that she would be the only one to survive when they failed, but Keeper had lived it.

Fake-Keeper sat alone on a stone, fake-tears staining his cheeks in a parody of the real one beside Ruby. A human walked out, and stood beside Fake-Keeper.

"The people wait for your orders, my lord and Keeper." He bowed, waiting for Fake-Keeper to respond.

"Will they accept them from me?" Fake-Keeper inquired, "I was more than ready to die for our people, but being asked to live is a struggle far greater." He stood up from the rock, and turned to the audience, staring out in silence.

"My lord, we heard Corvus order you to go. He believed that you could do what he couldn't. Be honored by his choice." The human told him, letting Fake-Keeper think.

"I accept this honor in his memory. I will lead our people, I will see them safely to a new home." Fake-Keeper declared as the curtains closed for the final time.

The crowd proceeded to give them a standing ovation as Keeper and Ruby slipped out of their private box and the theater. Walking into the night, Keeper couldn't help but smile. Ruby noticed and became confused.

"What's got you so happy?" Ruby asked, remembering him nearly crying during the play.

"The play actually. It was quite provoking. They did a good job other than some details." Keeper told her, his smile softening. Ruby was happy that he wasn't sad, but she wondered if it was forced.

"So what's in the bag?" Keeper's question snapped her out of her reverie.

"Oh, uh… just something I thought looked cool. And I got one for you." She pulled out the pendants, letting Keeper see them. Keeper stayed silent as she passed him one. He held it in his hand, studying the design.

"No one has ever given me a gift." Keeper said, donning the pendant and smiling at Ruby.

"No one's ever given you a gift?" Ruby said, shocked by the revelation.

"I'm not exactly someone people try to shop for. Plus I'm normally the one giving gifts."

"Well, I think you deserve something. You've been so nice to…" _Me_, "Everyone." Ruby said.

"Well, thank you." They finished their walk to the house before Keeper realized that Ruby was still only carrying her pendant.

"Hold on." Keeper extended his hand. Ruby took a moment before handing the pendant to him. She tilted her head forward so he could put the pendant on her. Careful not to touch her, Keeper slipped the chain over her head and let it settle around her neck. Taking a step back, Keeper proclaimed, "It suits you."

"Thanks." Ruby and Keeper stood on the stoop, simply looking at each other and smiling for a moment. Yang flung the front door open, letting the bright light of the foyer spill into the night.

"What are you two doing? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Yang told them. They could only smile as they went inside to check on their friends.

* * *

Ruby was surprised when Keeper passed her the VIP convention pass at breakfast. He told everyone not to wait up for him, since he had meetings all day. He wished them a fun day before leaving them to their own devices.

Since the first day was Village Rock's day, the convention center was being used for the largest weapon show Ruby had ever seen to show off their crafting industries. With the VIP pass, she got in without waiting and got to wander the entire convention center. She was inspecting possible upgrades for Crescent Rose when she heard "Ruby!"

She turned and saw Keeper running up to her. He pulled up short, and as usual, smiled at her.

"I thought you had meetings." She said, glad to see him. At least he could appreciate the convention as much as she did.

"I told them I would be available for meetings at night instead, so I could enjoy the festivities this year." He explained as his eyes swept the various vendors and other stalls. The two wandered through the show, oohing and aahing at the sights. They stopped at a Dust round demonstration to watch as new specialty rounds were displayed. Multi-dust rounds, scatter-shots, even specialized rounds for specific Grimm or weapons.

"Those Deathstalker rounds look amazing! You want any?" Keeper offered. Ruby looked at the specially marked clips and nodded. Keeper bought her three clips and several other loose rounds for himself. Eventually it was time for the convention to close and they went back to the house to check on everyone else. What they found was all their friends standing in the foyer staring angrily at the officials from the ceremony yesterday.

"I don't believe that any sane government would send children as ambassadors." One official said, sneering at them as Ruby and Keeper's arrival went unnoticed.

"Shows what you know." Yang fired back. Blake and Weiss immediately stepped up to grab her arms in case she tried to hit the official.

"I will not argue with…" The official's words cut off as Keeper cleared his throat. His smile disappeared as his face set in stone.

"You will do well to remember where you stand, councilor. You are in my house, insulting my guests. The customs of our people are not diluted by your ignorance." Keeper told the official as he stepped between the groups. The older man snorted at the accusation, causing Keeper to face him. They all felt the air charge with Keeper's undeniable power as the cheer in his eyes hardened to anger.

"Need I remind you who I am? You will apologize before we start this meeting. Or I will personally ensure that you never raise your voice to someone again." Keeper menacingly stepping into the councilor's personal space. The official gulped as the entire room went dead silent. Looking over Keeper's shoulder at Yang, the official profusely apologized.

"Problem solved." Yang said as the officials hurried into the parlor room. Once they were inside, Keeper's shoulders slumped as he turned back to face his guests.

"Sorry you had to see that." He apologized, "Sometimes they get high on their positions and I have to be the big scary guy to knock them down."

"No wonder you don't like meetings with them. They're worse than my father's board of directors." Weiss acknowledged. Everyone else just went along with it.

"Well, I must go attend the meeting." Keeper told them before smiling at Ruby, "Just try not to sleepwalk into this one, if you would be so kind." He disappeared into the parlor, shutting the door firmly behind him. Everybody looked at Ruby for a second, wondering what he meant. To her own credit, Ruby managed to hide her embarrassment. Barely.

* * *

Ruby spent the next few days with Keeper in the mornings and early afternoons while spending the rest of the day with her friends. She couldn't help but admit that each day was exciting. From Anchor's display of aquatic recreation to North's astounding tech demonstrations (They had hoverboards!) to Tree's giant animal show/ petting zoo. It was Home's day to show off their more refined artistic culture when Ruby and Keeper ran into Kira.

"Hey you two!" She said, jogging up to them with a look of excitement.

"Hey sis, haven't seen you all week!" Keeper said as he gave her a hug. For a moment, Ruby felt a pang of jealousy that Keeper was hugging Kira and not her. She quickly stomped on the feeling and tried to remember that Keeper didn't know she had feelings for him. But he must have had an inkling considering the way he went out of his way for her.

"So are you two going to the dance tomorrow? Ruby never picked up her dress from her first day here." Kira told them, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. Keeper rolled his eyes, disappointment crossing his face before disappearing behind a natural smile.

"Only if the councilors let me have the night off. And I'm not in their good graces right now." Keeper explained to her, reminding Ruby of the confrontation Keeper had had the night after the gun show/convention.

"That bites Keeper. I know how much you've wanted to go to one. But I imagine they already have plans to go, with or without you." Kira suggested.

"I would hope they do. I wouldn't want them to miss out on the fun because I'm stuck dealing with a bunch of old grouches." Keeper laughed at his own situation.

"So what do you say Ruby? Want to come and pick it up so you can go be the best-dressed at the dance tomorrow?" Kira asked her, giving an encouraging smile.

"Sure." She said, kind of wanting to actually go to a dance without ending up having to fight in high heels. At least here she could still wear her cloak and not be considered too strange.

"You know Keeper, it's too bad you don't have some responsibility that overrides that meeting." Kira innocently commented, knowing exactly what she was starting.

"The only responsibility that could do that would be a personal request of a guest." Keeper said, rather dejectedly. He clearly missed the point of what she said.

"What if I ask him to be my date to the dance?" The words were out of Ruby's mouth before she knew she said them. Kira smiled at her as Keeper stood frozen in total surprise.

"I think that meets Keeper's escape requirements." Kira said. She ushered Ruby to follow her back to her store before Keeper could answer.

_Did I just…?_ Ruby thought as she followed Kira, leaving Keeper frozen like a statue.

_Did she just….?_ Keeper shook himself out of his stupor. Taking a second to think about it, he smiled. No meeting for him then.

* * *

"Way to go and get your own date!" Yang said as she hugged Ruby. Ruby fought against the vice-like grip as she struggled to breathe.

"Put her down before you pop her like a grape." Blake reminded the blonde. Yang carefully set Ruby down, and she turned to her partner.

"Can I help it if I'm excited that she's going with someone that hot?" Yang asked. Ruby got embarrassed at the reminder of how Keeper looked. Not that she needed reminding.

"It's not a date. I'm helping out a friend!" She tried to protest. The rest of Team RWBY looked at her with unbelief in their gazes. Ruby knew she wasn't going to win this argument.

* * *

"Jaune, Ren. Could I ask something of you guys?" Keeper said, making sure that the three boys were alone in the living room. Jaune looked at Ren, who nodded.

"Sure. Fire away." Jaune told their host. Keeper sighed in relief before rolling over the back of the couch and landing right in the center of the two teammates.

"I must admit, I've never been to a formal dance as someone's date. Is there anything I should know before tomorrow?" Keeper asked them. The two looked at Keeper with surprise.

"You… have never had a date…. to a dance?" Jaune questioned as he struggled with the idea.

"That seems very unlikely." Ren observed, trying to wrestle with Keeper's rather simple question.

"I know. The whole 'leader of our people' thing tends to make most people think I'm above them or something. Not to mention most formals I get invited to go to are politically based parties, so we spend time talking policy, not dancing with people." Keeper told them, propping his arms up on his legs.

"Okay, it's a good thing you have us here then." Jaune said, slinging his arm around Keeper in a brotherly fashion.

Ren started the lecture, "First lesson: Formal attire…"

* * *

The next day, everyone was hyped up for the dance that night. No one had any idea where Keeper went after breakfast, and after searching everywhere they could think of they still couldn't find him. Eventually they had stop searching and go back to the house to get ready for the dance. As they finished getting ready, they heard the front door slam with enough force to shake the house.

"If you don't hurry up, we'll have to arrive fashionably late!" Keeper's joking voice echoed up to them. The first one to run out to see their host was Ruby, wearing the dress from Kira. Everybody soon followed, awed by the sight of the casually dressed Keeper in proper formal wear.

Keeper stood in the center of the foyer, wearing a black three-piece suit and polished black shoes and holding a bouquet of red roses. He shifted, revealing that a dark red vest and tie that matched Ruby's dress hiding under his unbuttoned coat. Silver accented his suit at the cuffs and belt, making his irises light up with previously hidden silver flecks. As he noticed Ruby standing there, his own eyes widened and his jaw went slack. Taking a moment to compose himself, he met Ruby on the stairs. He handed her the flowers as he shot a quick look of appreciation to Jaune and Ren, before focusing on Ruby.

"The flowers were my idea this time." He said, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. Ruby looked up from the flowers to him with a smile.

"That was very thoughtful." She told him. Everyone walked down to the foyer, still wondering what could have taken Keeper so long.

"We really should hurry. I told the limo driver I wouldn't be long." Keeper told them.

"Limo! Why didn't you say so?" Nora said, dragging Ren out the door before anyone could react. They quickly followed, and got into the stretch limo.

At the dance the friends all took up a pair of tables in the corner and sat and lounged for a while. Eventually Nora dragged Ren out to dance with her, much to everyone's amusement. It didn't take long for everyone else to get up to dance, except Ruby and Keeper.

"You know, sitting here and listening to music is quite fun." Keeper looked at Ruby, who seemed slightly uncomfortable at the prospect of dancing in public.

"You don't have to sit here if you don't want to." Ruby told him, pulling her hood up a little higher on her shoulders. She didn't want to ruin his night with her own shyness.

"And leave you alone with so many boys here who would impose their desire to dance with you if I wasn't sitting nearby? Not a chance." Keeper replied, a heart-melting smile accompanying his proclamation. Ruby internally squeed at the sight of it. Maybe she could stand a dance, just this once.

"Well if they see us dancing, I don't think they'll try for the rest of the night." Ruby managed to say. Keeper's eyes widened slightly, before he stood up and extended his hand. Ruby took it and he led her to the dance floor. The crowd seemed surprised by the arrival of Keeper, but all eyes were on Ruby. She felt herself start to turn red under all the stares until Keeper gently put her hood up for her. She looked at him, surprised by how he seemed to know what she had wanted to do.

"Don't worry about them. It's just you, me, and the music. Like when we're training." Keeper whispered to her, leaning in and meeting her eyes. The music changed, the tempo slowing as the next song came on. Keeper guided her hands to the right spots for a slow dance before doing the same for himself. The whole time they danced, their eyes never left each other in their intense focus.

Far off across the room Yang sat next to Kira, watching Keeper and Ruby. The two watched with amusement as Keeper led Ruby across the dance floor with a shared natural grace that Yang wouldn't associate with Ruby outside of a fight.

"They still don't want to admit their feelings to each other." Yang observed, watching Keeper's patient expression as the song changed but the tempo didn't.

"I have an idea." Kira told Yang, before leaning over to whisper to her.

* * *

"We've got a very different special request of our fearless leader." The DJ announced from his spot by the live band, "Because apparently Keeper managed to sneak himself in here. Did no one tell him about the age limit?" Polite laughter filled the air.

"The best part about being my age is I can ignore any rule I want to." Keeper replied from his spot on the dance floor. Again polite laughter rumbled as the two bantered.

"Well since you're such a crowd pleaser, maybe you'll do everyone a favor and perform a very special request?" The DJ inquired, looking at him. Keeper looked at Ruby, who gave him a quick nod. Keeper looked at the DJ and they shared a quick smile.

"Let me see it first." Keeper walked over to the DJ's booth and looked at the scrap of paper. He squinted at the request and started a quiet but heated argument with the DJ. They argued for a good bit before he sighed audibly. "One second." He hurried back to Ruby's position in the crowd.

"Could you do a huge favor and join me up on stage? You won't have to sing or anything. Just be there, for me?" Keeper begged her, using the same puppy-dog eyes that Ruby had seen on her first day in the city. Crumbling under the weight of his gaze and her own feelings, she silently nodded. Keeper took her hand and led her up to the raised stage that the DJ and band were waiting on. The DJ passed Keeper a mic, and signaled the band to start playing. As the melody started, everyone turned to watch Keeper.

Clearing his throat quickly, he started to sing:

"_Here in this secret garden where we play,_

_Dreams come and go to the beat of today._

_How did we meet? I'll never ask._" Keeper's eyes locked with Ruby's for a second as the crowd whooped. Ruby felt that warm sensation in her chest again, watching Keeper sing.

"_In case you shatter just like glass._

_Are you just another dream?_

_Oh please, oh please don't let it be._

'_Cause when I dream of Eden, _

_You are right there by my side_." Keeper slid over to Ruby, his hands tipping her hood back a little as he stood close.

"_Making sadness roll away,_

_Turn my night into your day._

_You are the one sent from above._

_What do I feel? Is this love?" _Keeper spun around Ruby, the crowd cheering him on_._

"_O Flower-sweet, you let me in_

_Oh tell me where to begin?_

_In this secret place of ours,_

_Your beauty beats any flower._

_Secrets and truths hidden within,_

_Oh tell me where to begin. _" Keeper took Ruby's hand, twirling her for a moment before staring deep into her eyes.

"'_Cause when I dream of Eden, _

_You are right there by my side._

_Making sadness roll away_

_Turn my night into your day._

_You are the one sent from above._

_What do I feel? Is this love?"_ Keeper continued looking at her, his hand guiding her hood all the way down.

"_When I dream of Eden, I dream of you._

_By Heaven's grace I know the truth:_

_You're my Eden!_

_You're my Eeeeeeden!_

_Yeah, when I dream of Eden, I dream of you._

_By Heaven's grace I know the truth:_

_You're my Eden!_

_You're my Eeeeeeden!_

_My resting place! My happiness!_

_The only color in a world not meant to last_!" Keeper moved closer to her, their faces mere inches apart.

"_This dream is real_

_Don't let it fade._

_Take my hand_

_I'll lead the way._

_Out of the dark,_

_Into the light! _

_For your love_

_I'll stand and fight!_

'_Cause in the end _

_I know the truth_

_Dream or real don't depend_

_All that matters is I love you_." Keeper sung, speaking directly to Ruby in her opinion. He let his voice drift out as he finished. For a second everyone was quiet. Then the whole crowd all erupted into applause, cheering Keeper's improvisation. Suddenly uncomfortable, Ruby activated her semblance, rushing away to a secluded balcony on the far side of the room before anyone realized where she had gone.

* * *

She stood in the cool night air, letting it wash over her and soothe her racing heart. She heard the dance pick up again inside, her view of it blocked by heavy white curtains. She stared away from the party as she heard the curtains swish aside.

"Ruby." Keeper said, making her turn around. His eyes were full of worry as the curtains closed behind him. She felt her heart speed up as he walked closer, and the warm feeling kept growing. Had he come out here because of her?

"I was worried when you ran off like that. I'm sorry if I did anything that made you uncomfortable." He told her. Ruby felt a pang of shame as she realized he was out here in his capacity as her host and friend, instead of as… what Ruby wanted him to be, as he had just sung. Turning away from him, she steeled herself to fight the feelings she had for him.

"It's nothing you did. I just don't like dances where I have to be dressed up so much." She told him, making him chuckle softly. The sound of it made her heart flutter. Why did it feel like he was tormenting her?

"Ruby, there's been something I need to talk to you about. About our friendship, and everything else." He said, his voice softening. Ruby turned around to him, and noticed he was looking at his shoes rather than her. Fear coursed through her as she thought, _does he know?_

"Every day I'm reminded of the fact that I have responsibilities to my people, but these last few weeks I've been spending all of my extra time with you and your friends." He continued, not daring to meet her eyes. _You serve the people, you alone bear the burden_, his mind echoed with his old lessons.

"What are you saying?" Ruby felt her heart drop into a pit of despair as she realized Keeper might be telling her that he hated having them. That it had all been an act and she had fallen for it.

"What I'm saying is…" Keeper took a breath to steady himself, "is that I have feelings for you and they make it impossible for me to do anything other than think about you!" Ruby stood by in silence, shocked by his confession. "But I can't. I have a responsibility to my people, to lead them as I have since I was chosen. It outweighs everything, even my own happiness. For the good of my people, I cannot allow myself to feel this, to be distracted and… free…" He turned and walked to the edge of the balcony, where he leaned on the railing with his full weight. Ruby walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Just touching him made her feel even warmer.

"Nope." She stated as matter-of-factly as she could.

"Ruby…" He sighed pleadingly, putting his hand over hers as he turned around.

"Nope. You told me that you feel hollow, that you were bound in your own emptiness. How do you feel right now?" She asked him, looking into his eyes.

"Let me show you." Keeper's free hand cupped her chin, tilting it up so he could look directly into her face. He leaned in quickly and kissed her.

* * *

Ruby felt the warm sensation that had been inside her explode. Heat and energy rushed through her body with more force than every sugar rush she'd ever had combined. Her eyes closed as the sensation of the kiss overwhelmed her every sense. She could taste Keeper's lips as her instincts took over and she kissed him back. He tasted as perfect as he was.

* * *

For a second Keeper wasn't sure he'd done it right. Then Ruby threw her arms around his neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss. He let his eyes close as a wave of energy rolled through him. His hands drifted to her waist, pulling her closer to him. She tasted just as he thought she would; sweeter than any strawberry.

* * *

Thunder clapped in Keeper's ears as he felt something slam against his chest. Momentarily stunned by it, he pulled back from the kiss. He opened his eyes, expecting someone to be attacking him. But all he saw was Ruby looking at him with a frown. Looking to cover whatever happened, Keeper looked back at the curtains and the dance beyond it.

"We should head back in before anyone comes looking for us." He told her, taking her hand and leading her back into the dance. Ruby let go of his hand in case anyone noticed them. Keeper turned back to her, confused as to why she let go.

"Our secret. For the moment." She told him with a quick peck on his cheek. Keeper could only smile in response. They made their way back in and over to the tables where everyone, including Kira, were sitting.

"Where'd you guys go? You missed out on most of the dance." Weiss asked, wondering what her partner had been up to. Particularly with how flushed Keeper seemed to be.

"Sorry, I got a little lost. Keeper took a while to find me." Ruby answered, lying to her friends. She was normally bad at lying but something about Keeper's kiss had given her the natural talent for it.

"Right." Blake skeptically answered, not sure what part was the actual lie. Yang decided to distract everyone before she found out for herself.

"You guys missed out on the vote for king and queen of the dance." Yang told them, reminding everyone of the ballots that they had filled out. Ruby and Keeper shared a nervous glance, before being saved by the DJ tapping his mike.

"All right everybody, I'm sad to say it's that time of the night. One last song before it's over." Everyone shared a collective disappointed groan. The DJ waved it off, before holding up two envelopes. "But that means it's also time to announce this dance's king and queen!" That got everybody clapping.

"Okay… this dance's king is…." The DJ opened the envelope and read the card, "Keeper! Get up here and get your crown, you old stone!" Keeper looked at the others, surprised that he had won.

"Singing that little song probably got you that crown." Kira told him.

"It wasn't even that good. I had to make it up on the spot. Stupid request." He muttered before he went up to the DJ booth, where a spotlight came on as he was bestowed with a sash and crown. Everyone clapped as he took a bow.

"Now to answer the big question of who will be sharing the spotlight dance with our king, this year's queen is…" The DJ opened the second envelope and was shocked as he read it, "Miss Ruby Rose!" Ruby nearly had a panic-attack as everyone started to clap for her.

"Guess that song really did win the crowns." Yang told her, "Now go up there and be a queen for the night." Ruby hesitantly walked up to the DJ booth as countless people congratulated her. She felt slightly numb as she stood beside Keeper and received her own sash and crown. They took a moment to let the crowd give them their applause before the DJ put on the music for the final dance.

The slow song started and everyone quickly grabbed their partners. But they didn't move to the center of the dance floor, where a large spotlight shown down. Taking Ruby's hand, Keeper led her to the center and they started to dance as the crowd danced around them. When the song was over, they stood together, still holding on to each other for a little longer.

Back at the table, Kira and Yang shared a secret fist bump.

* * *

Once they returned to the house, everyone changed out of their formal clothes and quickly went to bed. Except for Ruby and Keeper, who snuck out of their rooms to go to the basement. Sitting on the couch together, Keeper held Ruby's hand.

"So you don't want to tell anyone about us?" Keeper asked her, his cheer undeniable. Nothing seemed to make him sad for long.

"For a while anyways. We still need to figure out what we're going to do." Ruby told him. His face fell as he realized what she was talking about.

"You'll eventually have to go back to Vale." He said, remembering that it wasn't one of those happily-ever-after stories.

"And you still have to lead and protect your people." Ruby sadly remarked, realizing that the fire they felt might be snuffed out by circumstances beyond their control. Keeper suddenly perked up, realizing a simple solution.

"I'll just come with you." He told her, suddenly excited.

"But what about…" Ruby started to say before Keeper silenced her with a quick kiss. Once the shock of the surprise kiss was over, she realized he was grinning.

"My people need someone to serve as their ambassador to the other kingdoms and that someone needs to have experience handling new and unexpected challenges while having enough authority to act on their own. Which means I'm the only one qualified." He explained to her. Ruby understood what he was implying and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He took a second before he started to hug her back.

"Glad to know that sleepwalking thing wasn't just a fluke." He told her with an affectionate squeeze.

"Uh, that was just me wanting to sleep next to you." Ruby admitted before snuggling deeper into him.

"Then I suggest we continue the trend," Keeper said, making himself more comfortable on the couch. Ruby smiled and curled up in his arms. Nestling together on the couch, they quickly fell asleep to the rhythm of each other's breathing.

* * *

**Notes: I'm sorry for subjecting you to the terrible song that I wrote for this chapter. I have no talent for music. Though it did its job and foreshadowed... I mean it let Keeper confess his feelings without it actually sounding like a confession. I feel like the music to this terrible song would sound something like Owl City.**

**So physical locations of the other villages: Village Anchor is located in the southeast corner of Vytal, serving as the kingdom's major port. Village Rock is located in the heart of the desert south of Vacuo, built out of the rock formations in the area. Village North is located in the northeast corner of the continent of Mantle, the same continent as Atlas and located on the top of a mountain surrounded by glaciers in a permanent state of winter. Village Tree is located on a small island between the three continents of Vytal, Mantle, and the one that Mistral is located on. If Village Tree didn't exist, neither would Village North since they are the only ones located nearby to each other and the only way to reach either of the Villages is by a long boat ride or an airship that knows exactly where its going.**

**Any questions can be sent to me via PM. As always, feel free to review, even if its just to tell to stop hurting your head with info dumps and expositions.**


	9. Chapter 9

**And now we enter the second week of the Gathering, which means Battle Week and action! Let the fighting give this story some adrenaline instead of the usual drama.**

**Chapter 9: A Fresh Start**

Yang was woken up by the sound of the doorbell. Sitting up in confusion as the bell continued to sound, Yang wondered who would actually ring the bell on a door Keeper never locked. At least from what she had seen. Huffing to herself, she walked out of her room as everyone else opened their doors as well. Everyone except Ruby and Keeper. Taking note of their absence, Yang decided to focus on the much more pressing, and in her opinion _annoying_, matter of the doorbell. Opening the front door, Yang was surprised to see it was another young (relatively) Soulless man.

Unlike Keeper, this one's eyes were nearly as black as his hair and he wasn't nearly as good-looking. Most notable was the fact that he was wearing armor and didn't look like he had smiled in his entire life.

"Where is Keeper? He is late for today's battle preparations." The man stated, looking beyond Yang at the others.

"Well good morning to you too. We don't know." Yang told him. Without a word the Soulless shouldered his way into the house.

* * *

"You can't just barge in!" Yang's voice echoed down to Keeper and Ruby's position on the couch. They snapped awake as they realized the situation.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no! What do we do?" Ruby asked, realizing that everyone was probably awake already. It was only a matter of time before they started searching for the two of them. And she couldn't risk Yang killing Keeper after they just admitted their feelings the night before.

"We'll be fine, we can just say it was a morning training session." Keeper soothed her. Either he wasn't concerned for his safety or he didn't know he needed to be worried.

"In our pajamas?" Ruby questioned, thinking of the impending interrogation. As much as she liked Keeper, she didn't want questions about it or all of the implied complications it would bring. Particularly from her sister or her tendency to jump to dangerous conclusions.

"If he's anywhere, he's in the kitchen." Jaune's voice called out.

"Well then where's Ruby? She didn't come out of her room." They heard Weiss say.

"Probably with Keeper. Those two have been getting a lot closer." Yang said. They looked at each other, realizing that Yang might already know. Whether that was a good or bad thing would have to be discussed by the two of them after they found a way out of their current predicament.

"I have a plan. Wait for them to find me and then sneak back to your room. We can play it off as you sleeping late." Keeper kissed her forehead before rushing upstairs. She heard the simultaneous slamming of the pantry and kitchen doors.

"He's not in here." Nora said, sad that breakfast wasn't underway.

"Maybe he's in the basement." Blake guessed, her steps echoing closer to the basement's open door. But before she got close enough to look in, a cacophony of crashes directed everyone to look at the pantry.

"Ow!" Keeper said, his painful cry half-muffled by the closed pantry door. Everyone went over to check on him, leaving Ruby a big enough gap to quickly slip out of the basement, passed the others, and out into the rest of the house.

* * *

Keeper sat in a pile of broken eggs and spilled ingredients as the others looked at him. He managed to see Ruby slip away through the gaps in the bodies in the doorway. He noticed that one of his Soulless warriors had joined the group. _That must be why Yang was upset,_ he thought as he looked at them.

"Sorry, I woke up a little late and wanted to make sure you guys got breakfast before I left." Keeper explained, using the truth to hide his actions without lying.

"Couldn't you hear the doorbell?" Yang asked, helping Keeper out of the spill. Keeper took some time to dust himself off.

Keeper shook his head, pointing out, "The pantry doubles as a firing range when I'm bored. Can't hear the thing if the door isn't open." Looking back at the mess he'd created as quickly as possible. Doing his best to look confused, he asked, "Where's Ruby? Did she not wake up?" _That had to be the boldest-faced lie I've ever told, _was all he could think_._

"No, we thought you might have seen her." Weiss said.

"Not since we got back from the dance last night." _Scratch that last thought, this was my boldest lie._

"Keeper," The Soulless interrupted, "The preparations are already underway. We must go."

"You're right of course. Everybody, looks like you are on your own for breakfast. Sorry. But make sure to go to the north gate so you don't miss today's big show." Keeper said as he and the Soulless left them in the kitchen. Not long after, Ruby walked in and looked at everyone.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked, playing off her arrival with a faked yawn and stretch.

* * *

After getting dressed and getting breakfast at a diner, the group went to the north gate of the city and were surprised by the large crowd of Soulless standing around the gate. Once one of them noticed the group, they were quickly ushered up onto the wall alongside a dozen Soulless guards.

They were shocked by the sight of two dozen horse-sized Deathstalkers squatting motionless along the north path out of the city. Before they could even consider what to do, a Soulless interrupted them.

"Don't worry, they're wire-frames covered with paper and paint for the reenactment." She told them, pointing out a dozen cameras pointed in the direction of the fake Grimm.

"A reenactment of what?" Pyrrha asked, wondering why Keeper would want them to attend it.

"The arrival of Corvus, the first Soulless who came to Ranth. Supposedly he fought off that many Deathstalkers single-handedly before walking up to the gates and declaring his intent to aid our people."

"That seems very unlikely." Ren commented before the Soulless glared at him. The sound of a microphone being turned on caught their attention.

"Long ago, in the days before the fall, our people lived behind the wall of glorious Ranth." Keeper's voice rang out across the city. They looked around for him until their Soulless guide pointed out to a black-cloaked figure who had appeared in the heart of the fake Grimm pack.

"But one day, a mysterious stranger came as Grimm prepared to lay siege to the wall. The Grimm ignored the traveler even as the wall guards watched in amazement," Keeper continued, a slight breeze sweeping his cloak behind him like a shadow. They could see him draw a sword of some dark material, the motion throwing his cloak back behind him.

"They stood amazed as the traveler drew of a sword of hardwood, a mere training weapon, and watched as a mist started to cling to it." The sword started to glow with a purple mist, triggering memories of the night ambush that had started this entire journey.

"The Grimm he attacked first never stood a chance," The sword plunged into one of the fake Grimm, triggering an explosion of fireworks and more purple mist.

"The creatures realized they were under attack, but had no hope," Keeper's sword plunged into another one, bringing another colorful explosion and bringing the faint echo of cheers to their ears from within the city. As Keeper moved to his third target, they were shocked to see the other Grimm shake themselves like they were waking up.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Jaune fearfully questioned, noticing that the rest of the "fake" Grimm had woken up and Keeper had failed to notice. He really hoped it was some special effect and not a bunch of high-level Grimm about to ambush one person.

"No. It's not." She answered, turning to her fellow guards, "Grimm at the gates. Get firing squads up here to help Keeper." Ruby and the others shared a look of fear as they realized that this was a deadly scenario. Ruby moved first, leaping off the short wall in the direction of the invading Grimm. The others moved to follow, only to be cut-off as a wall of purple energy appeared before they could. Looking at the Soulless on the wall, they could tell this was some kind of battle tactic of theirs.

"What are you doing? He needs help!" Yang yelled at them, her aura crackling dangerously around her. The Soulless that had been guiding them looked at her with an impassive expression.

"Keeper's contingency plan for Grimm sighted during a Gathering. All forces are ordered to hold position until overwhelming force can be brought against the threat." She told them, returning to directing other guards around.

"C'mon Ruby, don't do anything too stupid." Yang whispered as the rose petal trail grew behind her sister.

* * *

Keeper pulled his sword free of the third target, ready to seek out the next one for the theatrical performance. He turned just as a stinger descended, aimed at his head. He rolled out of the way, taking in the situation in a fraction of a second as he deactivated his microphone. 21 active Deathstalkers and the only actual weapon he had was the wood sword. Manipulating the Energy as he dropped the sword, two ghostly purple swords formed in his hands. A Deathstalker swung at him with its claws, meaning to crush him. He blocked it with ease, its strength nothing compared to his own.

"Wrong move." He said, slashing forward as the blades cut into the Deathstalker's claws. But unlike the countless times before, his blades didn't pass through the entirety of the Grimm until they found their killing blows. Instead they buried themselves deep in the flesh of its claw. The injured Deathstalker hissed as it reared away from Keeper. The other Deathstalkers circled in, eager to take advantage of the distraction. Stingers descended from every direction, forcing him to rely on his personal shield so he could assess the situation. Eliminating his injured opponent seemed the most logical step.

"Keeper!" Ruby's voice called out as Keeper leapt atop the injured Grimm. He looked up and saw her racing for him, heedless of the danger. She activated Crescent Rose, the scythe's blade glinting in the sunlight.

"Beautiful," He whispered to himself as he plunged his swords into the Grimm's brain, killing it before it could try to throw him off. Letting its body dissolve naturally, he gave a war cry to draw the others' attention to him as Ruby ran closer, firing Crescent Rose to propel herself forward with even more force. The first Deathstalker she hit with Crescent Rose's blade died as its entire head rolled away. The second's back was scoured by the flurry of strikes. The third hissed as she used its tail to redirect her momentum to launch herself to Keeper's side. They shared a quick look as their enemies hissed in frustration at the arrival of another.

"Winner gets to choose what dessert we have tonight." Keeper told her as he channeled more Energy into the swords, extending their blades to nearly his full height.

"Prepare to bake then." Ruby told him, feeding off his confidence. Without a pause longer they launched themselves into the fray.

* * *

Yang and the others watched as Keeper, Ruby, and the Grimm were swallowed up by a cloud of purple mist. All they could hear from the shrouded direction was the hissing of the Deathstalkers occasionally broken by the sound of Crescent Rose firing. Everyone waited with as much restraint as they could while the Soulless scrambled into position around them.

"I can't take it!" Yang exclaimed, walking over to the head Soulless. When she turned to face Yang, she got hit with everything Yang could surprise her with, the blow launching the warrior down the wall. The energy that had barred their way quickly dissipated, freeing them to go help. Yang was the first to jump over as they stared at her in surprise. But they quickly followed, knowing better than to disagree with the enraged blonde.

* * *

Ruby knew that they would be dead if Keeper hadn't filled the area with the purple mist. The only problem with it was that they could barely see the Grimm to fight. She heard a rush of wind as a gap appeared in the mist, revealing Keeper cutting through a Deathstalker's tail. Rushing in to help, Ruby sliced through two of its legs, tipping it over. Keeper seized the chance, leaping at its undefended head and cutting it off.

He landed next to her, smiling at Ruby. But his smile faded as he rushed by her, throwing his ghostly swords with experienced precision. Ruby turned just in time to see another Deathstalker had snuck up on them, its tail and claws already primed to attack. But Keeper's swords found their marks, burying themselves in the gaps of the claws, rendering them useless. Ruby realized what he was doing, and moved to follow. It hissed in pain, then swung down with its tail. He caught the stinger with two hands, the ground around him flattening under the force. But he held strong, trapping the Grimm. Ruby struck quickly, killing it while it struggled to escape Keeper's grasp. With it dead, Keeper let go and his swords dissipated alongside the body.

"That's 6 for me and 5 for you. Ten more to see who wins." Keeper told her, wary of any motion in the mist beyond their clear zone. Keeper recreated his swords, the ghost blades flowing with his power.

"Which means you better hurry up if you don't want to lose." Ruby told him, turning as a hissing noise reached them.

"Race you." He said before rushing off with a trail of flower petals fluttering behind him. Ruby quickly activated her semblance, giving chase.

* * *

Yang led the charge into the mist, intent on finding Ruby. When she realized she had nearly run into a Deathstalker, she activated Ember Celica and attacked its legs. The creature was surprised as Yang's blows made contact, blasting the limbs off at the joint. She heard the sound of Weiss and Blake fighting as they dodged around the creature's claws and tail. Too far off to see, Yang could hear Jaune leading Team JNPR against another of the Grimm.

"Yang!" Weiss yelled, summoning a glyph for Yang to jump onto as the Deathstalker's tail passed through the spot she'd been standing. Yang looked at the injured Grimm before leaping as high as she could, a lethal meteor punch landing on the back of its ugly head. With it dead and the sounds of victory from wherever Team JNPR was, Yang felt confident to call out.

* * *

"Ruby!" Yang's voice echoed to her and Keeper, distracting them from the Deathstalker they were trying to engage. The Grimm took advantage of their loss of focus, swinging a heavy claw at them. They were thrown through the air, the mist fading away as Keeper lost his concentration required to maintain it. Keeper landed with a grunt and several rolls as Ruby tried to land on her feet. But the force of the landing was too much for her aura to effectively counter, and her leg collapsed as her ankle twisted under the strain. She gave a cry of pain, falling backwards as the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR realized what was going on. The 8 surviving Deathstalkers regrouped, preparing to fight as the teams rushed over to Keeper and Ruby. Keeper carefully picked up Ruby, and looked at the others as they came closer.

"Ride the wind!" He yelled at them, and he used his semblance to run. He circled around the teams, generating a small hurricane. He ran faster than they could properly see, only catching the afterimages as the vacuum force of his speed pulled them into the air. They were surprised to find themselves buoyed on the air as Keeper's sprinting dragged them towards the Grimm, safely out of the creature's range to attack.

"You know what to do!" Yang told them, waiting for everyone with a ranged weapon mode to get ready. When they were, they opened fire and rained attacks down on the Deathstalkers as they became trapped by Keeper's running whirlwind. Even as their attacks brought the Grimm down, they could see the occasional flash of a weapon striking as Keeper ran around the Grimm. Once the last one had fallen to the ground with a shudder, Keeper slowed down to let them gently land. Once Keeper finally came to a stop, he set Ruby down carefully. Yang went over to Keeper, her eyes still red as she realized that Ruby was hurt.

"How could you let her get hurt?" Yang yelled at him, getting close to him.

"You say that like I invited her out here!" Keeper shouted back as the others closed in on the argument.

"If it wasn't for your stupid orders we all might have been out here!"

"Then you all would have been at risk! I could've handled this!"

"Because you were clearly handling it so well!" The sound of a gunshot stopped the argument. Turning to look at what was being shot at, they were surprised to see a Deathstalker slowly falling backwards, a bullet hole replacing an eye. Turning to look back at the only person who could have made the shot, they saw that Ruby was using Crescent Rose to stand up.

"That makes the score 6-6. And I win all draws." She told Keeper with a smile. Yang immediately calmed down as she rushed over to hug Ruby.

"Fair enough." Keeper replied, a relieved smile gracing his face.

"At least you two can see eye-to-eye." Yang said, not able to resist. The unanimous groan that followed was the only satisfaction she needed.

* * *

Taking a moment to examine the injury, Keeper declared it easily fixed. Channeling some of the Energy, he surrounded her injured ankle with the purple mist. After a few seconds, the mist faded and Ruby stood up, unaided. After confirming the injury was healed, they started to walk back to the city. For the most part they were silent except for the occasional discussion of the fight and everyone's various theatrics.

"I am ashamed to say you may have been right about a betrayal during the Gathering." Keeper admitted as they got closer to the city.

"So think that was some kind of set-up?" Blake asked Keeper as he stopped short of the city gate. He turned and looked them with a serious expression.

"It's the only possibility. But we should discuss this somewhere more secure." Keeper told them as the gate swung open. Standing on the other side was the Soulless guide and a few hundred of the warriors.

"Keeper are you okay?" She asked, assessing him for injuries. Ruby felt that she should be the one doing it but she managed to restrain herself.

"I am fine. Did the cameras capture anything?" Keeper asked as he waded into the crowd of warriors. They bowed to him as he passed, parting for the rest of them as they followed.

"Yes, we didn't cut them off until we were sure you were safe. The sound system is still active." She explained, pointing out Keeper's microphone was off. Keeper looked at it for a second before turning it on.

"It seems we had some technical difficulties towards the end," Keeper said, his voice echoing across the city, "But let me assure you that I am fine. This was done to teach an important lesson." He took a deep breath before continuing "I am not Corvus, no one ever could be. Something we all needed to be reminded of. Nevertheless, a hero never stands alone." Keeper's gaze flickered across his friends, lingering slightly longer on Ruby, "Which is why after the Gathering I will be leaving Village Home to secure an alliance between us and the other human kingdoms. We may be the descendants of Ranth, but we don't need to stand alone as they did. Fates' blessings on you all as we continue today's festivities." He switched off the mike and tossed it aside. He started walking away from the growing crowd and everyone wordlessly followed.

* * *

Back at the house, everyone finished a quiet and tense dinner before heading to the living room. Taking the central couch for himself, the two teams split the remaining couches.

"You said you thought what happened was a set-up." Jaune immediately pointed out.

"Yes and if you all had not been there, they would have succeeded. I would have been killed and our people wouldn't be able to respond in their loss." Keeper told them.

"So you didn't have it under control?" Yang said, reminded of the argument Ruby had cut short between them.

"Not in the slightest. My chances against them were fine, if they had been normal Grimm." Keeper excusably suggested. He didn't know what had happened that his attack hadn't been as effective as it normally was, but he wanted to figure it out.

"Are you saying those were different in some way?" Ruby asked, knowing that Keeper wasn't lying. Something had been different, at least when Keeper was fighting them.

Keeper nodded, "Yes. They had a resistance to the Energy. Something I've never seen before. A single attack can pass through the armor of even an elder Deathstalker, but I was barely able to get an attack through these young one's armor. Not to mention that they sensed me before I presented myself as a threat to them. The Grimm can't do that, the Energy prevents it."

"So they were some kind of Anti-Soulless Grimm?" Nora guessed, not sure what to make of the idea. No one was.

"But the question is: how did they get that close without someone noticing?" Weiss pointed out.

"The only logical answer is that someone managed to sedate them and place them instead of the usual stand-ins. But only event staff have access to them." Keeper mused, the possibilities flying through his mind.

"Could it be one of those council guys you deal with? They probably have a good motivation to take you out." Yang said, reminding everyone of their single and disastrous meeting of the group.

"No, they don't have access and they're too cowardly to try something that dangerous." Keeper replied.

"Maybe it was a Soulless. The one that fought Tracker had the same abilities you do." Ren observed. Keeper's eyes slowly widened at the realization.

"Possibly. They would be able to get close enough to a Grimm to sedate it. They would know the defense protocols in the situation. They would have access to anything." Keeper jumped up, shocked by the worn feeling of betrayal, "The next question is why. I'm going to do some investigating over the next few days. For your safety, carry your weapons at all times and don't be caught alone with a Soulless. Until this threat is uncovered, treat the city like enemy territory."

* * *

To say the next few days were tense for the friends would be an understatement. They rarely saw Keeper other than meals and he always looked exhausted. Then one night, he came home with the smile they hadn't seen since the first day of the week.

"The situation was handled." He told them over dinner.

"So what was it?" They asked, wanting to know what could possibly threaten Keeper.

"A small isolationist group of council members and some mid-ranked militia officers. They didn't like the idea of us establishing full contact with your people on the basis of our own strength. They're in jail awaiting trial after the festivities," Keeper explained. Everybody visibly relaxed as they heard the news. Now looking to unwind, everyone played a few rounds of games together before deciding to go to bed early. Ruby stayed back as the others went to bed and changed into her own pajamas before going to find Keeper in the basement. Tonight he had brought out the piano and was playing with self-indulgent cheer.

"Hey." She said as he noticed her. He stopped playing, turning to watch her walk over.

"So it looks like the threat is dealt with and that means nothing but two weeks of relaxation before we leave." Keeper said as Ruby slipped her arms around him. He couldn't help but smile as she sat next to him on the bench and kept her arms wrapped around him. He threw one of his arms around her and kept playing, enjoying the combination of her closeness and the gentle serenade.

"We haven't had a lot of time together since the dance." Keeper admitted, turning to kiss Ruby's forehead.

"And you never made the cookies you promised." She reminded him. He knew she was only half-joking about that.

"Cookies can wait until tomorrow. All I want right now is time with you." He told before pulling her into a long kiss. With a quick flurry of motion, Ruby broke the kiss and moved to the couch. Her playful smile was the only invitation Keeper needed as he kissed her again.

* * *

The next morning everyone was surprised by Keeper's new accessories. The red and white swords crossed on his back gave them their first real image of him as a warrior. Besides the fight with the Deathstalkers.

"Why are you carrying swords if the danger is over?" Weiss asked, unsure of their host's stability after the past week.

"Today's re-enactment is the castle siege of the revolution. I always carry them to remember its heroes on this day. They were mentors of mine." He shrugged off the question.

"And where's that happening?" Yang asked, kind of excited at the idea of watching a battle reenactment. She could use some more excitement after how tense the past few days had been.

"At the stadium. If we hurry we might still get some good ringside seats."

The seats that they got were middle of the stadium and only a few rows from the stadium floor.

They were introduced to the four heroes of the revolution: the jokester prince, the noble bull-Faunus, the disciplined older brother, and his winged younger sibling. They watched as the heroes approached the outpost clearing, full of city guards waiting to ambush them.

"Did he really have wings?" Ruby whispered as the heroes fought against the guards. She figured Keeper might have met them if he had their weapons.

"Possibly. I wouldn't know. Records of him in general are spotty at best, and he disappeared long before I came around. They say he went off in search of a girl he saw in his dreams, leaving only his weapon behind." Keeper told her, remembering the tales of his mentors. But even those had started to get fuzzy with age. They watched as the heroes drove back their enemies, forcing the guards to retreat towards the wall. They watched as the winged hero was drawn into the air, flying to the top of the wall to scare the guards away as the others waited for him to unlock the gate. They watched as the heroes eventually made their way to the mine to free the enslaved Faunus, where they threw the weapon of the defeated wall commander into a fire to destroy the mine's door and its terrible guardian, a hook-nosed giant.

They were about to assault the castle and confront the king with their army of Faunus and humans when Keeper felt his scroll alert him to an incoming message. Excusing himself, he let the others continue watching so he could check what was so important.

* * *

The heroes had just defeated the king when a screech echoed across the stadium. Confused, everyone looked up as a giant Nevermore flew over the stadium, circling over them. People screamed and fled as the Nevermore swooped in, prompting the Huntsmen to act. Bringing their weapons to bear, they opened fire on the Grimm, distracting it and forcing it out of the stadium's open ceiling. Weiss summoned her glyphs, creating stairs for them to run towards the roof. They made it to the roof, where they could see the Nevermore circling as it considered its next move.

"How did they let one of these get into the city?" Weiss grumbled, winded from having to make an entire path for the eight of them. They heard a clang as an access panel opened up, revealing Keeper looking distraught.

"They didn't. There have been dozens of large Nevermore spotted with expansive Beowulf packs moving around our borders. Everyone else is out dealing with those so they must not have noticed this lone one." Keeper told them, pulling his two swords out.

"Let's take it out!" Nora yelled, opening fire on the circling Grimm. The grenades only made it angry, and it unleashed a storm of feathers at them. Everyone scattered as the feathers punched into the concrete of the roof. Everyone watched as the Nevermore circled around, readying itself to attack again.

"Thornbloom, don't fail me now!" Keeper yelled, before swinging the glowing red blade in the direction of the bird Grimm. A slash of fire rolled through the air, hungrily racing after its target. The Nevermore dodged low, putting it in range of the others. They opened fire with their own weapons, damaging it but not bringing it down. It dove at them, angered by the attacks. It snatched up Keeper in its beak, drawn to him for some reason.

"I hate birds!" They heard him yell as he held the Nevermore's beak open with a single arm. The bird's head shook, trying to dislodge him as he swung his blade at its eyes. When he finally connected, the bird cried out, giving him enough time to jump away as the others resumed shooting at it. Rolling in the air not to be hit as he descended, he noticed glyphs appearing below him. He realized he still had Moonglow as he crashed into a glyph, bringing his freefall to a sudden stop. Jumping back down to the roof using the glyphs from Weiss, he looked around as everyone continued to attack the Grimm. The Nevermore wheeled away, preparing for another assault.

"I have an idea!" He yelled at them, hoping this wasn't as bad an idea as it sounded.

* * *

The Nevermore circled closer as they stopped firing, hungry for revenge on the ones that had hurt it.

It noticed the one that had slashed its eye standing away from the others. Easy prey. It dove in, ready to devour the little thing.

Then everything went white.

* * *

Keeper sheathed Thornbloom, not wanting to risk losing the priceless relic. He looked at Moonglow and waited for the Nevermore to notice that he was all alone.

_Still one of my worst ideas_, he thought to himself as the Nevermore wheeled around. Its remaining good eye locked onto him, the desire for vengeance overriding any instinct of self-preservation.

Once it had committed itself in a brazen plunge, Keeper activated Moonglow's Dust ability. The blade started to glow softly, but the light grew stronger until it was blindingly bright. Trusting his instincts, Keeper sprinted backwards, channeling as much power as he could through the ancient weapon to keep it lit.

* * *

Everyone thought Keeper's plan was insane. Ruby especially disagreed with the part that had him playing the bait. But even they knew they couldn't stop Keeper once his mind was set on something. Instead they readied themselves for the signal from Keeper. When the light of the sword outshone the sun, they charged forward waiting for the imminent impact.

* * *

The Nevermore crashed into the weakened roof of the stadium, its weight overloading the damaged supports. The roof started to collapse, a rain of debris pouring onto the still falling Grimm.

* * *

Keeper kept sprinting even as he felt the roof breaking apart underneath his feet. Releasing his hold Moonglow's power as a chasm opened underneath him, Keeper threw himself into the air, praying the fates granted him luck.

* * *

Everyone kept hurrying as they saw the approaching destruction of the roof, knowing Keeper's plan was working. When they got to the last solid edge of the collapsing structure, they leaped into the empty space, trusting in each other to stay in formation.

* * *

Keeper saw the glyph bloom beneath him, its white surface standing out in the grays and browns of the roof pieces. Aiming to land on it, Keeper managed to catch a glimpse of the others as he finished his fall.

* * *

They saw Keeper land on Weiss's glyph, looking up expectantly as everyone else landed. Once they were all on the glyph, Keeper erected a purple dome around them, its coloration thin enough for them to watch as the rest of the stadium collapsed onto the Nevermore. Only once the debris stopped raining down and the Grimm was completely buried beneath the remains of the stadium did Keeper let his dome come down. Standing together on the glyph, they surveyed the damage to the city and each other. The stadium was absolutely ruined and the surrounding streets were still choked with the dust clouds of its demise. But no one was seriously injured or dust-stained as they assured themselves it was over.

"Never thought of dropping a building on a Grimm before." Keeper told them, smiling in spite of himself.

"Let's not try to make a habit of it." Weiss grumbled, spawning several glyphs so they could descend to the top of the rubble pile. Once their feet were firmly planted on the ground, Keeper pulled out his communication scroll, ready to deliver the good news. He turned on the open guard channel, giving everyone a chance to hear.

"The threat in Home is neutralized. Repeat, the Nevermore over our wall is down." Keeper said into the device.

"Alush Company reporting, all enemies eliminated." Came a voice through the static.

"Beck Compnay, all clear in our zone." Stated a second voice.

"Kren Company reporting…. What is that?" A third voice said before being drowned out by the sound of Grimm howls.

"Kren Company, give a status report!" Keeper ordered. He looked at the others, a sudden panic in his eyes. "Alush and Beck Companies, investigate." His only reply was the sounds of battle amidst heavy gunfire.

"This is Sil Scout Desh reporting Keeper. We've got Grimm everywhere along the all the approaches, and they're moving towards Home." A fourth voice said, a chord of fear being struck.

"Sound the retreat! I repeat, disengage and return to Home! Get to safety, do you hear me?" Keeper shouted, receiving hundreds of replies as the Soulless forces pulled back towards their city. Closing the device, Keeper looked at them with a look of pure fear and desperation.

"We're under siege."

* * *

**Notes: I have quite a few of them for this one.**

**First, why was Keeper unable to kill the Grimm as he always could? Were they different or was it something else entirely?**

**Second, the reenactment is based off of several chapters from my other RWBY story "Before Dust Settles" but it obviously different thanks to the changes over time and good old hearsay.**

**Third: Alush, Beck, Kren, and Desh are letters from an ancient language inspired by Ancient Greek that also appeared in the other RWBY fic I mentioned. They correspond with the letters A, B, G, and H respectively.**

**Fourth: Holy crap, I couldn't think of a way to bring a detailed description of the swords Thornbloom and Moonglow into the story without seeming excessively forced. So I'll put it here and you can totally skip it if you want.**

**Thornbloom: A greatsword variant, this double-edged two-handed sword measures 44" long and is nearly a 12" wide, making it unwieldly to anyone who isn't prepared to block and parry for closer combat. Being made of Fire Dust ceramic, this red sword can generate fire along its entire length with a thought from its wielder. While the sword is large, it is made lighter by the fact that it is actually hollow, relying on its Dust-reinforced construction to prevent it from breaking.**

**Moonglow: A scimitar variant, this single-edged one-handed sword measures 30" long and is only curved along its cutting edge, leading to it tapering to a curved point. Being made of white Light Dust, Moonglow can generate heatless light ranging in intensity from a soft glow like its name to brighter than sunlight.**

**Any questions? PM me. You know the drill by now, review and let me know what you think.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Sins of the Past**

Keeper ordered them back to the house as he went to check with various commanders as sirens sounded throughout the city. They raced back to the house, knowing that this would be a bigger fight than the Breach. As they waited for Keeper to return, they checked their weapons for any sign of damage from the stadium fight.

"That was the craziest thing I think we've ever done." Yang told them as she reloaded Ember Celica.

"At the rate we're going, we'll top this next semester." Blake muttered, rewrapping Gambol Shroud's ribbon.

"That's assuming they don't expel us for this." Weiss commented, changing out the cartridges in Myrtenaster.

"Why would they? We found an entire civilization, I think that counts for something." Jaune said, checking everyone for any sign of injury.

"Maybe they're running some kind of news on the TV," Nora wondered as she turned it on. A red and blue screen appeared, a scrolling text line warning them to stay tuned for more news. A voice cut in without warning.

"…protocols are in effect. Repeat, Home is currently…" The voice was cut off as the screen changed, now showing Keeper standing in what appeared to be a tent.

"People of Home and its associated Villages, I have…. Bad news." He looked down, a weight dragging his shoulders down with his eyes, "I'm going to be honest with you. There's a large force of Grimm building not far from our gates. Our preliminary reports tell us they outnumber us three hundred-to-one and their numbers will continue to grow. We have instituted the Homeless Protocol in order to ensure your safety. We have secluded ourselves for too long and now we are destined to pay for that sin." Keeper's eyes met the camera lenses, an appreciative smile on his face as he shed a tear, "Just know that it has been my greatest honor to serve our people for so long. May the fates grant us strength in the coming days." With his speech done, the camera cut off. The friends exchanged looks as his words sunk in. Was it really that hopeless?

The slamming of the front door broke them out of their reverie. They hurried out to see Keeper, who stood there with a solemn expression. He saw them and didn't smile, instead choosing to sigh.

"Go pack your bags. You guys need to be ready to leave if the situation turns against us." He told them, trudging over to the stairs as they protested.

"No way, you guys need as much help as you can get!" Ruby told him, seeing his fists clench.

"Which is why I'm telling you to be ready to leave! This isn't just a little fight or even a battle! It is a full fates' cursed siege! I don't want you, any of you, getting killed because this. If anything goes wrong, my people will need someone to protect them long enough to escape to another kingdom or Village. Now please, do as I ask. I have to prepare for the morning." Keeper yelled at them, tears unconsciously slipping down. He turned away and hurried up to the third floor, intent on the armory.

The eight friends considered his words before going to their rooms. But Ruby wasn't going to let that be the end of it. She found Keeper in the armory, a collection of seemingly random weapon pieces scattered around the swords he'd been wielding earlier.

"I knew you would be the one to come up here," He said without turning to face her.

"Why don't you want us here, helping? That's our job." Ruby asked, stepping closer to him.

"Because this only proves that the traitors are still free." Keeper told her in resignation.

"What? I thought you arrested them." Keeper turned to face her, his expression collected and calm. Ruby knew it was a ruse to hide his feelings.

"I thought I did. But there's no way that this many Grimm could find Home without being led here. And the only ones capable of that are Soulless that have finished their training. Which brings the list of suspects into the hundreds and puts them in important positions in our defenses during a time when I have no chance to search for them."

"Which is all the more reason you need people you trust to be here." Ruby stepped up closer as he sighed.

"You don't get it. I can't stand the thought of losing people I care for, of losing you. If I know you're safe, at least I can have that peace of mind." Keeper leaned in and kissed her before continuing, "Please, keep safe tomorrow and stay out of the fight." He pulled back, turning back to the worktable.

"I can't do that. You know that." Ruby told him, putting her foot down. Keeper grabbed something from the table before turning to face her. She saw it was four leather-bound books, one of them considerably thicker than the others.

"These are the translated books of Corvus, Silent Scout, Battlemaster, and myself. These contain more knowledge than my entire library and hold secrets and techniques more powerful than all of us combined. I'm giving them to you, with the explicit request that you see them safely to your headmaster at Beacon. Personally." Keeper passed her the books, knowing exactly what he was doing. Ruby looked into his eyes and saw the pain and tears waiting there. Without another word, she left him there to prepare for the next morning.

* * *

Keeper looked at the map of the surrounding area, covered with miniatures indicating the placement of Home's forces and the growing army of Grimm. The dawn's gray light wasn't what he wanted to see, but he knew it meant they would fight during the day. At least he could say he was actually part of this. Not like the last siege of his home.

"And the emergency preparations? Are they prepared to escape if we fail?" Keeper asked one of his generals.

"Yes Keeper, they have already begun preparations. But I question the use of human militia to reinforce our numbers." The general replied, stoic as he reported.

"All of them are warriors as capable as ourselves. They deserve a chance to fight for their home as well. Not to mention they will be spread on the wall, lending fire support and staying off the front lines." Keeper told him, tracing the proposed fighting front around the city.

"And the injured from yesterday's skirmishes?" Keeper turned to a different general, this one's armor marked with the universal symbol of healing.

"The Medical Corp was able to treat their wounds using Energy gathered from yesterday's attack. All units are active." Was the reply.

"Good, now to the plan." Keeper motioned them closer, pointing out markers on the map, "I want a perfect single row battle line sealing around the wall. We'll need medics moving constantly. I'm going to need ammo runners keeping the firing teams on the wall well-supplied. We've chosen the eastern clearing will be my position since the Grimm seem to be making a move from that direction. Once we make contact on the east approach, I'll take…." Keeper looked at his collection of head officers, who were staring at something behind. More like several someones, he bet himself. Turning around, he wasn't entirely surprised to see Ruby and everyone else standing there.

"Ready for our orders… sir." She said, saluting him. He turned to the others, who all saluted as well.

Despite himself, Keeper couldn't help but laugh. Everyone, including the officers, looked at him like he had gone crazy. He was laughing so hard, tears came to his eyes. He wiped them away before he spoke.

"Salutes are supposed to come from soldiers. Last time I checked, you were Huntsmen and Huntresses." He said with a smile. The teams smiled back as they relaxed. He motioned them to come over to the table and snapped his fingers to refocus the Soulless officers.

"Now as I was saying, **we** will lead the spearhead charge to divide them. At that point, it's about doing our jobs to the end." Keeper explained, pushing a marker straight into the heart of the Grimm. He looked at his friends and then his generals. "Everyone get ready, it's time to fight."

* * *

Keeper stood at the front of his forces, staring at the walls in their uncamouflaged glory. To the untrained eye, its various defects would be written off as old stone. But Keeper knew every sniper nest that hid behind those defects was primed to kill at his signal. Looking at his friends, Keeper watched as they checked their weapons once again.

"So what was it? My cooking or my warm personality?" Keeper broke the ice with, earning peculiar looks from them.

"Uh, what?" Ruby asked, sincerely confused. Keeper rolled his shoulders back, leaning against nothing.

"Clearly my effectiveness as your host drew you back here after I told you all it was safer to stay out of this. Especially since I remember telling you this was a hopeless fight." Keeper looked at them with the warmth of happiness and mild irritation.

"Your desserts are really good." Nora admitted. Keeper took the compliment with grace and watched as the two teams split to be his flanks during the impending charge. Turning back to the wall, Keeper let the rising sun warm his back. Ruby came back over to him, making sure they were out of earshot of the others.

"You should have stayed back. It would have been easier on both of us." Keeper reminded her as she stood close enough to hear him whisper it to the wind.

"A good friend of mine once said that even the greatest heroes didn't fight alone. So trust me when I say there is no place I would rather be right now." She answered him, her eyes meeting his with unwavering courage. The sight of it made Keeper smile as he stared back while a sense of peace rolled through him.

"After this, we might want to tell everyone about us. Because I'm having a really hard time resisting the urge to kiss you." He told her, making her blush at the admission. A horn blared from the wall, signaling the first Grimm sighting. Ruby hurried over to her team as Keeper turned around. A single Beowulf had peeked out of the forest, snapping and snarling at the fighters. Keeper pulled out his current weapon of choice, a red and white collapsible sniper rifle, and looked down its lengthy barrel and scope. He centered the Grimm's head in his sights. A quick pull of the trigger would kill it, but he waited. The horn blared again, making him look beyond the scope. Thousands of Grimm creatures had emerged from the woods. Ursa, Deathstalkers, Boarbutusks, and Taijitus intermingled with packs of Beowolves. The only good thing Keeper saw was the absence of any Nevermores. His extermination protocols called for extreme prejudice when it came to those flying nightmares.

Refocusing on the Beowulf he had sighted earlier, Keeper eased himself back into his stance. He heard the screeching hiss of a Taijitu as it surged forward. With a single twitch, Keeper pulled the trigger.

The Beowulf exploded into fine red mist as the bullet impacted. The deafening report of his weapon disappeared as the firing teams across the walls opened fire at his signal. The first wave of Grimm evaporated under the concentrated fire. But more were already pouring out of the forest, howls of deranged hunger accompanying them. Standing up, Keeper felt the rifle disassemble into its components, returning familiar weapons to his hands.

_Heroes forgive me_, he thought as he raised the reforged Thornbloom and Moonglow. Their new names, Rosethorn and Moonlace respectively, were emblazoned across the hilts as the sun caught their polished finish.

"Charge!" Keeper shouted, pushing forward with a flaming slash from Rosethorn. Teams JNPR and RWBY followed, opening fire as the Soulless platoon around them joined with a rallying cry.

The fire from Rosethorn swept through a pack of Beowulfs, lighting them up like matchsticks. Keeper leapt over their burning bodies, a two-bladed swing taking the head off an Ursa. Blasting out with waves of Energy, he split the tide of Grimm as everyone fought around him.

* * *

Jaune couldn't believe the scale of the battle. Not far from him, Nora slammed an Ursa Major back into the charging Grimm lines as Ren picked off Beowulfs that tried to flank her swings. Pyrrha tore through Grimm like they were butter as Jaune just finished taking on an Ursa Major alone. The Soulless were holding their own as more Grimm poured from the forest. He could see dozens of warriors facing down Deathstalkers and Taijitus as gunfire rained down from the wall. Jaune beheaded a Beowulf and raised his shield as a Boarbatusk barreled at him.

* * *

Across the city's walls, humans and Faunus operated turrets and personal firearms, ensuring any gaps in the formations were covered by heavy gunfire. The sounds of battle echoed everywhere as the horde of darkness threw themselves against the defenses. And it looked like the darkness was thinning.

* * *

Kira stood in the command center, her semblance turning the electronic reports and video feeds into pure data as she dispatched orders and kept officers up to date on the situation.

Her eyes widened as she saw a disturbing pattern emerging.

"Warn Keeper, the Grimm are disengaging and swarming to his position!" She yelled into the open channel, and silently prayed he got the message in time.

* * *

Ruby slammed into an Ursa feet first, launching it into Yang's line of fire. The blonde hardly noticed as she shot the Grimm out of the air, retreating to cover Blake as the girl launched Gambol Shroud into the tide of Grimm. Weiss battered an Ursa as Ruby spun her scythe point into the ground. Loading a fresh clip, Ruby turned in time to see Keeper vanished into the coils of a colossal Taijitu. She couldn't stop herself as she raced for him.

"Keeper!" She yelled, firing Crescent Rose to launch herself at the snake Grimm.

* * *

Keeper felt the ground shift too late as the Taijitu sprung at him from below. The Taijitu's coils tried to close around him as he formed Energy around him into a bubble. The coils cut off any light as he felt the pressure of the Grimm's muscles squeezing the air around him. Thrusting his swords' handles together, the weapons extended into a swordstaff. Letting the bubble shielding him collapse, Keeper twirled the staff, letting the blades bite into the exposed sides. The coils unraveled as the Grimm hissed in pain. Leaping free, Keeper let his weapons return to their base sword forms, staring down the snake Grimm.

"Keeper!" He heard Ruby yell as she flew at the Taijitu. It turned in her direction, opening its mouth to try and catch her out of the air. Keeper launched forward, throwing the swords back into their sheaths as he launched himself at it.

* * *

Ruby noticed the Taijitu's reaction, firing as she tried to redirect her momentum. She saw Keeper reappear, jumping to strike the Grimm's jaw with an uppercut. The snake Grimm's head flew back, its nearly broken neck exposed for Ruby to target. She swung as Crescent Rose turned purple, decapitating it as she landed on its falling body. Keeper landed next to her, blood dripping from a cut at his hairline.

"That's it." Keeper told her as the body pulled itself underground, "Part 2?" He flashed a cocky grin as he jumped at the rising head of the second side of the now revealed King Taijitu. Ruby noticed that this white head had something stuck into it between its eyes, almost at its nose. Dodging backwards together, Keeper and Ruby drew the snake out of the ground. All around them Grimm were crushed under the snake's weight as they dodged its advances. They activated their semblances, they dashed forward to get behind the head. Using the momentary reprieve to discuss tactics, Keeper finally noticed the protrusion from the Grimm's head.

"That's Battle-master's hammer! How did a half-ton hammer not kill this thing?" He told her, surveying the battle beyond them. Ruby's eyes followed his across the battlefield. It was hard to comprehend. Grimm raced by the Soulless, forgoing their attacks to focus on someone. Him and her.

The Soulless were fearless in this situation, jumping out of formation to try and divert the swarm from its course. The members of teams JNPR and RWBY had instinctively joined the assault, adding their own destructive capabilities to the efforts. But no amount of personal heroism could stop the tide rushing in their direction.

"Let's finish this one off and pull back." She suggested, knowing that it wasn't worth getting caught alone in a sea of Grimm. A quick nod confirmed the plan as the Grimm turned back to them with a hiss. Letting it lunge at them, Keeper jumped at its head while Ruby distracted it. Keeper pulled the hammer from its fleshy prison, its heft bringing a surge of familiarity to his senses. Winding up as the snake realized where he had landed, Keeper brought the hammer down with every bit of force he could muster. The mammoth piece of history struck its blow again, this time winning the battle over the Grimm's armor. Using the force of his swing, he landed clear of the falling body. Keeper looked to Ruby as the Grimm swarm stopped its charge.

The Grimm studied the dissolving body of the Taijitu as the defenders attacked the stunned creatures of darkness. With a howl from a Beowulf Alpha, the surviving Grimm fled into the trees, pulling back as their numbers dwindled even lower.

Once the Grimm had fled completely, a cheer started to rumble through the assembled fighters. Hands and voices rose in celebration as the word of victory made its way through the ranks. Keeper let himself relax and smile at Ruby as he ran right to her.

"Sorry about the secret." He whispered as he pulled her into a kiss that she immediately deepened. The teams could only look on as the two continued to kiss as everyone nearby rushed up to make sure they weren't losing their minds.

The two pulled back and realized that they now had an audience, and a very angry-looking Yang was approaching them.

"At least I die on a high note." Keeper said as he took Ruby's hand and walked towards the fiery blonde brute.

* * *

Yang's red eyes moved from Keeper to Ruby and back to him. "How long? And when were you two planning to tell us?" Keeper did his best not to flinch as he heard her prime a round.

"Since the dance. After this battle in fact. It was something we wanted to make sure we sorted out before we… announced it." Keeper explained as Ruby gave his hand an encouraging squeeze.

"It's honestly my fault," Ruby jumped in, "I asked him to keep it quiet until we were…certain it could continue after the Gathering was over." Yang closed her eyes for a second before opening them and revealing her normal eyes. Keeper silently thanked the fates for sparing him.

"I'm happy for you Rubes, but just tell us instead of announcing it like that." Yang told her sister as she hugged her. Yang shot Keeper a "hurt-her-I-kill-you" look over Ruby's shoulder, to which he emphatically nodded his understanding.

The teams and Keeper started to head back for the gate, the sounds of celebration still floating in the air from the returning fighters. One of the generals from the war table rushed out to meet them, waving Keeper down. Keeper ran ahead to eagerly meet him. They embraced, sharing the joy of the victory. Until Keeper heard Ruby give a cry of surprise.

* * *

Ruby was happy, watching Keeper rush to celebrate with a comrade. She watched them share a brotherly hug, only to catch sight of a dagger in the general's hand.

"Keeper!" She cried out, hoping he could escape the treachery.

* * *

Keeper ripped himself away, rolling and relying on his semblance to give him enough speed to escape. But as he tried to stand, a flash of pain tore through his leg as he felt it give out. Looking down, he could see the wound and immediately knew the attack had cut a tendon. The blood flowed out, staining his pants as it pumped through his fingers.

"Thought I had you there." The general said, bloody dagger in his hand as he smiled coldly at Keeper. "You are quick. But not quick enough." Keeper could see everyone standing back, unsure of how to react. He could see Ruby and the others running in his direction, but he couldn't risk it.

"Stay back!" He yelled to them, using a hand to force his leg to hold him up. He stared at his former friend, his face turning stony and emotionless. "You think this proves something."

"You have hampered our kind long enough! Why serve these mortals when we are gods compared to them?" He proclaimed to the crowds, knowing that he now had a public forum. "You, who fought here on the front lines as the humans cowered atop the wall! They know we are the superior ones!"

"Unless you forgot already, they fought from safety because I ordered it. It was my choice not to risk the lives of souled beings when we are expendable." Keeper answered his charge. To everyone the simple declaration sounded too automatic to have been a first-time defense.

"He admits that we are nothing compared to them in his eyes! What do we get for centuries of protecting them, of fighting the darkness? Nothing! As he coddles them and…" His rant was interrupted as Keeper's fist slammed into his chin. Keeper staggered back, still holding his leg as the general hit the ground. The dagger flew off, plunging into the ground not far from Ruby's feet. She looked at Keeper as he drew himself up, silhouetting his body with purple energy.

"I never lied about what we were." Keeper's voice boomed out, amplified by his power. "I told and warned every single one of you that to join the Soulless was to give up everything. Rights, protection, our very lives. We exist to serve as their defense against the darkness. And now, I remind you of the price of hubris, first paid by our ancestors." He drew Moonlace, the elegant white sword reflecting the sun back at everyone. Keeper lowered the blade to the general's throat, intent clear.

"Don't!"

* * *

"Don't do this Keeper. Let him stand trial for his crimes." Ruby said again, stepping closer as Keeper's blank expression met hers. For a second, she was afraid he would kill the general until he snapped Moonlace into its sheath. He sighed and bowed, a difficult maneuver with his wounded leg.

"I bow to the wishes of those I serve." He said as he rose up. He snapped his fingers, summoning three Soulless to his side. Two dragged the general away as the third started to treat his injury with a small medical kit.

The teams walked up to Keeper as the medic left Keeper, a thick wrap of cloth and gauze covering the wound and most of his leg.

"What the Dust was that?" Weiss asked as Keeper turned to walk back into the city, albeit with a slight limp.

"That was me finishing the business with the traitors. No head, no direction." Keeper said with a flat voice. He didn't look back at them as they tried to follow his almost frantic pace.

Ruby dashed in front of him, a shock of rose petals hitting Keeper in the face as she put her hands on his chest. Keeper stopped and Ruby's eyes met his. She wasn't ready to see the loss and sadness in his teary eyes. He shook his head at her, and sat on the ground as everyone stood around him.

"I never wanted this… I never wanted to deal with all this. Everyone knows it was our fault for the fall. Because we thought we were invincible, above everyone else. And as much I tried to stop it then, it still comes back to haunt me." Keeper put his head in his and moaned in mental agony, "And I'm having a breakdown in front of my few friends. What did I do to deserve this torture?"

Everybody looked at each other as Keeper continued his meltdown with his knees drawn to his chest. Unsure of what to do, they started a silent argument about who should snap Keeper out of it. Eventually everyone agreed it had to be Ruby. Obviously Ruby disagreed, but they weren't giving her much of a choice.

She knelt and put a hand on Keeper's shoulder, and waited for him to look at her. His eyes found hers and he sighed, "I'm a mess aren't I?"

"No more than anyone else. But that's why you're special. Even if you think you aren't, you're still human." Ruby told him, pulling him into a hug. When the others grew uncomfortable with their prolonged hug, Yang loudly cleared her throat. They quickly released each other and stood with embarrassed expressions.

"So…" Keeper said as he clapped his hands together, "What does everybody want for dinner?"

* * *

After they had made it back to the house and eaten, Keeper realized how tired he was. He finished the healing process on his leg during dinner, so he could at least get upstairs normally.

"I suggest we all go to bed. It's been a long day." He told them, before watching as they headed to their rooms. Ruby soon came back out of hers to see Keeper waiting with a slight smile on his face.

"So I think after today, we deserve some proper time together. No couch tonight. My room." Keeper said as he led her to his door. He opened it without looking and Ruby was surprised by the room's size. For a master bedroom it was about the same size as anyone else's. The bed was much smaller than she would have expected, considering her bed here was bigger than the one in her dorm at Beacon. Keeper picked up a small pile of clothes before disappearing into a personal bathroom to change. Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Keeper before doing anything else.

He walked out of the bathroom, wearing a very different set of pajamas than she had seen. His shirt was a soft purple, a decal of a winged eight-petaled flower proudly taking up the face of the shirt. His dark gray shorts were unmarked as he sat next to her on his bed. He took her hand in his as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry about today." He told her, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. She looked at him, and threw her arms around his neck pulling him close.

"Don't be. You know you can trust us." She whispered into his ear, not wanting to let go. He kissed her ears and jawline, letting his warm breath linger along her neck.

"You have my word. I'll tell you everything." He said as he kissed her throat, savoring the feel of her heartbeat echoing through his body. Then he heard the roar of thunder as he felt the slam of something inside his chest. He managed to not jump like he had the first time it had happened. He kissed Ruby harder, nipping carefully as he moved along her jawline to kiss her earlobe as they rolled to the center of his bed. His lips trailed to hers, the fire inside them fanned by their contact. Ruby ended up on top, taking a moment to pull the sheets out from underneath them. She quickly reengaged, continuing their make-out session as Keeper lost himself in her kisses and the thunder's call.

* * *

**Notes:**

**The swords Thornbloom and Moonglow were broken and remade by Keeper during the night as part of his preparations. ****They have now been made into Rosethorn and Moonlace respectively.**

**Rosethorn: A double-edged singlehanded sword measuring 34" long and 8" wide, the red ceramic that once made up the sword Thornbloom has been broken and pieced together over a mechashifting weapon frame. To allow for its transformations, the once-singular piece still shows a fine web of cracks that indicate the direction its pieces can move.**

**Moonlace: A single-edged singlehanded sword measuring a full 36" long and 6" wide, the white sword has undergone the same treatment as Rosethorn to allow mechashifting. Unlike its counterpart, it tapers to a curved point to allow an easier slash at the end of its range.**

**Any questions, suggestions, and comments can sent as PMs or left as reviews. Whichever is easier for you.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Back to Normal (Sort of)**

The next morning Keeper was kissed awake by Ruby. Opening his eyes, he smiled and kissed her back. They got ready for the day before anyone else woke up, and Ruby decided to watch Keeper prepare breakfast.

She marveled at his efficiency as he whipped up the entire breakfast from scratch in a matter of minutes. She watched him do everything, even juicing fresh oranges for everyone. Once he finished and put the food in the still-empty dining room, he came back to the kitchen with a playful smile.

"So today's the start of the Week of Silence. Will you guys be fine without me around for a while?" He asked her, holding her hand.

"So no more special breakfasts for the week?' She asked, smiling innocently as Keeper rolled his eyes. But she could still see him smiling as he turned away.

"Unfortunately yes, but then I realized something. I don't have your scroll number. Makes it hard to call you if I don't have it." Keeper slyly told her as he slipped out his scroll. Ruby took the obvious hint and entered it into his contact while Keeper nuzzled her neck. Handing it back to him, Keeper took it and used the opportunity to kiss her again.

"Try not to have too much fun without me. Oh, there's a stash of my strawberry cookies hidden in the pantry. It's behind the cheese wheel." Keeper told her before he left the house. Not long after the front door closed, Ruby heard everyone upstairs thunder down to the dining room for breakfast. She sighed, content with the world, as she walked in to sit with her friends and eat.

* * *

"So no Keeper for the week? How are you going to stand the separation anxiety?" Yang teased Ruby as the two walked around the city. Everything from the past few weeks had been cleaned up and if they didn't know better, they would think it was an ordinary day in an ordinary city.

"It's not like that." Ruby told her sister, eyes wandering across the peaceful sidewalk and pedestrians.

"Not yet anyways." Yang said, more to herself than Ruby, but nevertheless she heard the comment.

"Yang!" Ruby said as she tried to shove her sister, only to fail and not move the blonde. Taking the opportunity, Yang got Ruby in a temporary headlock and simply told her, "Still growing up."

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out to them from a café. They turned and saw Kira, sitting at an outdoor table and waving at them. They went over to Keeper's sister since they didn't have anything else to do.

Kira smiled at them as they sat down across from her, setting aside her half-finished tea to greet them properly.

"So, that was one way to announce you and Keeper yesterday Ruby." The poor girl blushed as Yang high-fived the copper-haired woman.

"So we haven't seen you in a while, what have you been up to?' Yang asked her, snatching up a muffin from a plate near Kira's tea. Kira gave no reaction as her pastry was stolen, instead focusing her attention on Ruby.

"Nothing nearly as interesting as you guys. I'm more interested in what she and Keeper have been up to. I'm pretty sure yesterday wasn't their first kiss. Especially with those hickies and love nips on her neck she's trying to hide." Kira smirked as Ruby gasped and Yang choked on her stolen muffin. After Yang managed to save herself with the Heimlich maneuver did she realize that Ruby was seemingly frozen.

"Did you break her?" Yang asked, waving her hand in front of Ruby's face. Kira snapped her fingers repeatedly, but nothing seemed to work.

"If I did, then I have an idea to snap her out of it." Kira replied. Yang looked at her, wondering what the all-seeing seamstress was going to come up with.

"So Yang, have you sat down Ruby and Keeper to give them 'the talk'? Better get on that." Kira asked. Yang's eyes widened at what she was implying as Ruby snapped out of whatever weird place she had been trapped in.

"Kira!"

* * *

Jaune looked at his teammates, ready for the final showdown. The four met their opponent's stares with the same confidence.

The music started, and Jaune started the marathon BBR dance-off for Team JNPR. This had started as simple rematch between Nora and a guy she had beaten before. Then more of them showed up, and before they knew it, they were taking part in a team challenge to break the ultimate high-score. In Nora's words, "This… Is…. Happening!"

* * *

"How could they just abandon us?" Weiss angrily asked Blake as the Faunus girl matched her pace. The two had unconsciously decided to stick together, unsure of what they might face during this "normal week" without any big theatrical events.

"Well I think Yang wants to get everything out of Ruby herself before she lets us know, and I didn't think you would be bothered by being so far from Jaune or his team." Blake answered, considering returning to that little bookstore she had gone to back in their first week in the city.

"I guess you're right. It's just, I don't know what to do, and it's not like there's a lot of things for people like us to do." Weiss ranted, frustrated by the idea.

"That's because you're thinking like a Huntress and student. Try thinking about it like a normal person. Like when we had winter break." Blake said as she spotted a movie theater. _At least it will kill some time, _she thought as she dragged Weiss over.

* * *

Back at the house after a "normal" day in the city, everyone was bored. To make matters worse, their energetic host wasn't around to suggest anything or tell some of his own wild stories. Even the videogames they had played together had gotten boring.

Ruby's scroll chimed an incoming call, startling everyone. Ruby fumbled for a second before answering.

"Hey beautiful, just calling to check up on you before we get out of scroll range." Keeper's voice carried through the room, making Ruby blush as she realized she had hit speakerphone. Yang smirked as the others decided to watch the ensuing conversation, wondering if Ruby would tell him before he said anything too embarrassing. Weiss decided to do otherwise.

"You're on speakerphone, dunce." Weiss called out, saving Ruby the embarrassment of telling him for herself.

"Well… Okay then. Just wanted to see how your first day was since I won't be in contact until we're nearly back at the end of the week. Anything fun happen?"

"We ran into Kira and she broke your girlfriend." Yang started, making Ruby turn red as she recalled the conversation in horrid detail. Keeper paused noticeably before answering.

"Well that explains the mortifying call I got from her earlier. What about Weiss and Blake? I bet they weren't around if Kira was involved." Keeper asked, steering the conversation away from him and Ruby. _Clever_, Yang thought.

"We ended up seeing a movie and wandering the city." Blake answered nonchalantly. It had been a rather boring day, even for someone that enjoyed their solitude and quiet like her.

"Was it any good?"

"It was one of those stupid action movies," Weiss answered, "The one where all the Grimm overrun a boat and a retired militiaman has to save everyone."

"Any good fighting sequences or did they waste them doing slow motion stupidity?"

"What do you think?"

"I apologize then. Then what happened to the others? Did I miss the double date?" Jaune and Ren choked on air and Nora and Pyrrha had near panic attacks as Yang pounded the couch in a stifled fit of laughter. Weiss, Blake, and Ruby were confused. They thought that Ren and Nora were actually dating already, but knew that Pyrrha had feelings for Jaune that he somehow didn't know about.

"No, no, no, no… We… just…. Played a marathon of Beat-Beat-Rhythm and Ren managed to set the ultimate high-score for the village." Pyrrha quickly explained as she blushed and Nora did her best to avoid looking at Ren and mumbling something about "Keeper and Magnhild needing a date". The line went silent.

"Impossible. No one could beat that." Keeper denied.

"Well Ren did. He's the champion of dancing games back home and at Beacon." Nora replied, defending her partner.

"There is no way anyone could beat my high-score! No one's that good!" Keeper proclaimed, his voice full of wounded pride. They could hear dozens of voices in the background agreeing.

"Then we'll settle it when you get back." Ren challenged, eager to defend his title and get back at Keeper for the distasteful joke. A quick clatter came across the line, before the sound of someone picking the scroll up.

"You're on!" A new voice accepted, "Keeper will beat any challenger." Everyone looked at the scroll as they heard a struggle on the other end.

"Sorry about that," Keeper apologized, "The problem with this week is everybody out here goes a little… wild. And I just wanted to say…" A loud whoop drowned out Keeper's words.

"Keeper, you on the phone with your girlfriend? You got to tell us…" the strange voice shouted with a dozen agreements echoing it. Keeper's sigh drowned out anything for a few seconds, before he continued.

"Sleep well Ruby. For both of us." Keeper flatly said before hanging up. Ruby put her scroll away, looking at everyone. Yang looked at everyone, eyes glinting with mischief.

"Well, I think that's our signal to have fun too." Everyone was afraid to ask what fun Yang meant.

* * *

The second day dawned without the delicious sounds and smells of breakfast being cooked wafting through the house. Not that anyone was still in the house at that point anyways. With too much time on their hands, everyone had set out into the city for a decent breakfast.

* * *

Keeper didn't know how it had happened. One second, he was leading a few hundred Soulless through the trees, surfing across the branches like he was skateboarding. The next he was in a river, its current dragging him along as something tried to wrap itself around his neck. Taking the young Tajitu in both of his hands, Keeper untangled himself from the Grimm just as he noticed more joining the hunt for him under the water. And here he thought it was going to be an underwhelming start to the week's hunts.

* * *

"So you guys know between Ren and I, I think we might be able to make everyone's meals for the week." Yang told everybody as they wandered through the city.

"Well then, why don't we do that? I don't think Keeper would mind if we use his kitchen." Jaune suggested, remembering the last time his team had had a Ren-cooked meal. They weren't disappointed.

"We should at least pick up groceries then, no need to raid his pantry." Ruby quickly pointed out a farmer's market had been set up in a nearby park.

"Good catch Rubes." Yang said as the group went in to start searching for ingredients. _At least they won't find the secret stash then,_ Ruby thought to herself. She had found it last night after a quick search and had found Keeper's cute little note attached to the large cookie tin.

_A sweet treat for my sweet girlfriend._

_-K_

She had squeed when she read it, happy that he was actually calling her his girlfriend. It just made it seem more official.

"Remnant to Ruby, let's go!" Nora playfully bopped her on the forehead, snapping her out of the reverie. Everyone had grocery bags and were standing around, clearly waiting on her.

"S-Sure," She said as they headed back to the house.

"Anybody else wonder what Keeper is up to right now?" Weiss asked, shifting the bags between her hands.

"Probably daydreaming about kissing Ruby." Yang replied, smirking as she watched her sister's face grow red as her cloak.

* * *

Keeper looked out at the stunning beach, stepping off the back of a freshly killed Ursa. He turned back to his hundreds of followers, observing their revels as they raced to the water's edge.

"You know what to do." Keeper ordered, pulling out a large blowtorch, "We need the fleet ready for tomorrow, so no slacking off!" The cheers that met the order were quickly drowned out by the sounds of heavy industrial construction. Keeper smiled and breathed deeply as the smell of fresh solder filled the air.

* * *

Yang and Ren maneuvered through Keeper's kitchen, a wild dance that the others watched with fascination. _Keeper and them could start a catering company, _Ruby thought to herself as the two chefs worked to meet expectations.

When one of them would move away to attend to something, the other would wordlessly take over. Everyone oohed and aahed as they whipped a simple but large meal. Once they were finished, the teams sat down to enjoy their meal and spend time speculating what was wild things could be happening to the missing immortal warriors.

* * *

Keeper looked at the setting sun from the front deck of his flagship. He gazed lovingly across its three hundred foot length, and leaned over the edge to look at the freshly painted name. He reached under his shirt, and pulled out the pendant of Ranth's ancient symbol and kissed it. Not as fun for him as kissing the girl who had given it to him, but it would have to do for the moment.

"Tomorrow, _The_ _Hero's Follower_ leads the charge against the Kraken," Keeper said to himself, enjoying the tranquility as the night arrived.

* * *

The third day started with Ren and Yang making everyone breakfast. They finished up eating just in time for the front door to open and let Kira in.

"You guys are coming with me today." Kira told them, and waited for them to follow her.

* * *

Keeper stood on the deck, shouting orders as tentacles erupted from the water around his ship. Looking to the other vessels, he saw them opening fire on the creature's quarter-mile long main body, damaging its ancient armor. A tentacle snaked around his leg, only to be cut by a swing of Rosethorn. He heard the gurgle of pain from the creature, and jumped on the stump to continue his attacks. This was the fun part for him.

* * *

Kira led them to a park they had never been to, and they soon found themselves standing near a large wall made of stone panels.

"Uh, Kira… what is this?" Jaune asked as they looked closer at the wall. It didn't take long for them to realize that the panels had words and numbers carved into them. A quick read revealed two names and three dates on each panel: A human name. A Soulless name. Date of birth. Date of conversion. Date of death.

"This is the memorial wall. Dedicated to those that will never see the future they gave everything for." Kira answered solemnly, walking slowly as her fingers trailed down the wall. They followed her in silence, watching as she turned and they found themselves in front of a statue filled plaza.

Four statues stood back to back, sharing a pedestal and large plaque as the others ringed the area. Each one on the outside had its own pedestal and plaque.

Kira walked up the central statues and waited for them to catch up.

"Who are they?" Pyrrha asked, recognizing the design of the statues as similar to the ones in the Beacon fountain. Kira took a second to compose herself before answering.

"They are the heroes of the revolution," Pointing to the youngest-looking one, "Lavender, the Wings of Hope," The large Bull Faunus, "Cerluean, the Arm of Justice," The archer, "Root, the Eyes of Truth," The last man, his sword planted between his feet, "Tree, the Shield of the People."

"Keeper mentioned a revolution during the reenactment. Something about them leading an uprising to free Faunus and give them equal rights." Blake remembered, recalling the performance mere days ago.

"Correct."

"Then what about these other statues? I recognize one of them is Keeper, but what about the others?" Weiss asked, pointing out the familiar statue in question. The statue stood smiling, its arms extended in an open hug. Not very different from the real one.

Kira sighed as she started to point to each one in turn. "Fangbreaker," A warrior held a mace in one hand, a large tooth in his other. "Packhunter," A feral looking warrior wielded forearm blades and leaned forward menacingly. "Clawcrusher," A wall of a man stood proud and resolute with heavy armor. "Wingpiercer," A crossbow wielding woman looked up, ever vigilant. "Battlemaster," A giant of a man wielding a massive two-handed hammer, the very one that Keeper had used to finish the King Taijitu. "Silent Scout," An older man stood with his arms crossed, daggers peeking out of his hands. "Corvus, the First," An ordinary man stood there, but they couldn't deny the aura of authority radiating from it. "They were the other leaders of the Soulless but only Keeper is left." She turned to face them, tears in her eyes, "He believes he's the only one that can carry the legacy of all these heroes. Don't let him burden himself with that much responsibility when he leaves with you! He needs the chance to be normal!"

They were taken aback by the impassioned plea, surprised by her emotional display. Ruby looked at the others, and they shared a nod before she answered, "He's helped us enough. It's only right we help him."

"Though making him normal might be overreaching." Yang muttered, unheard by anyone else.

* * *

Keeper stood on the beach, his view of the water blocked by all the boats. He turned back to his group of Soulless, smiling.

"We did it!" He shouted to them, starting a new frenzy of celebrations. "The night is yours once the ships are disassembled!"

The sound of tools being drawn were quickly followed by the sounds of cheerful destruction.

* * *

That night, everyone sat together in the library reading everything they could find on Keeper and the more ancient Soulless Kira had mentioned. But they could barely find anything more than their names until Ruby remembered the book Keeper had given her.

"Here," She pulled out the thick tome and let everyone gather around, "I have his journal."

"I don't want to know why you have his journal," Weiss muttered as they opened it to the first page.

* * *

Keeper sat high in a tree, overlooking the camp that they had made after the celebration had died down. He looked up at the moon, its full face shining down on him. The moonlight shined, outlining the Lady hidden in the moon.

"Still got nothing on Ruby." Keeper smiled to himself. His hand wrapped around the pendant she had given him. He hadn't taken it off since she given it to him. It reminded him he had found someone he could love. _Love, the one thing that is supposedly eternal. What better for an immortal?_

"I'm telling her as soon as I get back." He ordered himself before climbing down. It had been a long day and he wanted to sleep.

* * *

"Wow, he's had quite the wild life. He hasn't told us half of these stories." Yang mentioned, turning to the next page for everyone.

"But something isn't adding up. What do the names in the margins mean?" Jaune asked, pointing to the small list next to the more extensive journal entry.

Looking closer, Blake commented, "I think some of these names were on the memorial wall."

"They are! I remember that one because he sounded tough!" Nora exclaimed, pointing to a name.

"So it's a list of people that have died between journal entries? That's rather sad for him." Pyrrha suggested.

They continued further, watching as the lists of names grew longer and longer and it was made worse by the fact that none of the names were repeats.

"How could anyone stand to lose that many people?" Ren asked, looking at a journal entry that wasn't full of the more cheerful vocabulary used in the earlier sections.

"I'm guessing he learned to move on." Weiss decided, noting that the lists seemed to stop as the journal entries drew closer and closer to the present.

"That's weird." Yang said, pointing to the date on an entry, "That's fifty years from the last entry. I wonder what happened that he didn't write about."

"Maybe it was really boring?" Nora offered in her sugary optimistic voice.

"Maybe. But didn't you notice how often his journal skipped entire decades or even centuries?" The friends all looked at the most recent entries, dated from the day they arrived to the dance.

"Aww, he wrote a poem about Ruby," Yang said, eager to read their host's innermost thoughts. Ruby slammed the book shut, not wanting Yang to see it.

"I think it's time for bed. For everyone." Ruby said before sprinting from the library with the book, leaving her customary trail of rose petals. They checked the time and decided she was right.

"He should have known better than to give her his diary." Jaune stated as they all left the library.

* * *

Keeper's rest was shattered when he heard something hit the floor of his tent.

"Special Delivery!" A voice shouted in before he could open his eyes to identify the prankster. Instead he realized two things:

1\. Someone had managed to capture an Ursa and put it in his tent.

2\. When he was done with the Grimm, he was finding whoever managed to steal his clothes and leave him wearing a combat skirt. And they were going to hurt.

* * *

But that could wait until he dealt with the angry Ursa in his tent.

Kira spent the next few days with the teams, taking them to museums and art galleries around the city and took the time to fill them in on what to expect over the next week of celebration. She also joined them at the house, taking the place of their missing host with her own energy and stories of previous Gathering parties.

"So it's like a repeat of the first day?" Nora asked, remembering all the fun she had had while Ren tried to keep up.

"No, the first day is more structured. This is closer to a 24-hour carnival." Kira replied, "And with them returning tomorrow, we should hear from Keeper tonight."

Just then, Ruby's scroll went off, signaling an incoming call from none other than Keeper.

"Speak of him and he shall call," Blake quoted from some book she had read, "This ought to be interesting."

Ruby answered, and made sure she activated the speakerphone function.

"Am I on speakerphone?" Keeper asked, having learned from the last time.

"Yep. And Kira's here too." Yang answered him, smirking at the possibilities of having her around to help with this one.

"Then I'll save the sweet talk for tomorrow when I'm back. We should be getting there around midday. So anything interesting happen while I was away?"

"Kira took your place as tour guide. Yang and Ren cooked. Nothing too big." Jaune said, doing his best to avoid the question they all wanted to ask.

"Kira this question is for you: Did you ask them to keep an eye on me?" Keeper resignedly questioned, clearly disappointed.

"How do you know I did that?" Kira knew when she'd been caught red-handed, and it wasn't worth denying.

"Because I know you. And you're my sister, which means you want to make sure I'm safe. Besides the fact that you've practically apprenticed Yang into the position of being my tormentor."

"Aww, Kira, I'd be honored!" Yang told her fellow elder sibling, "Just give me some of his juiciest secrets and I can start getting some ideas."

"Kira, that's not going to happen, understand?" he paused with a sigh, "I've got to go. There's a bonfire starting and I'm going to make sure they don't burn the whole forest down. Goodnight everyone." Keeper immediately hung up. They all looked at each other, unsure of whether the conversation had just happened.

* * *

The next morning, they met up with Kira and went to the city gate to wait for the first signs of the Soulless returning. They didn't have to wait for long before they heard what sounded like a chant coming from deep within the forest. As they started to make out the first people emerging from the trees, they realized that the chant they heard was in a different language entirely. And leading not only the chant, but the Soulless while marching to its beat was Keeper. He turned to face them as they continued towards the gate, throwing his arms wide.

"Stop!" He commanded, and everyone stopped. "Thus ends the Week of Silence. Now let's get back to doing what we do best." The Soulless cheered and charged right past him and headed straight for the gates. Kira and the others ducked out of the way as the stamped thundered past them. One of them dared to call something out as they ran by, "See you later, Highlander!"

"If I find out someone spread that picture around, it's a world of hurt coming for them!" Keeper shouted back, clearly annoyed by something.

Once the last of the Soulless had disappeared down the path, Keeper strode up to the group and quickly pulled Ruby into a kiss. Once they broke it off, he stood waiting for them to say something.

"So, what's a Highlander, and why are you so embarrassed about that?" Yang asked mischievously, pointing at Keeper's blushing face.

"No reason. Just Silent Week antics. You understand right?" Keeper did his best to dodge the question, studying a passing cloud. Then everyone's scrolls chimed, signaling mail.

Everyone took the opportunity to open the anonymous message, and they were greeted by a video of Keeper fighting an Ursa unarmed while wearing a combat skirt. Only a combat skirt. The only one who managed to not double over laughing was Keeper, who could only turn brilliantly red at his sudden exposure.

"You always said you could fight any way you wanted. Never mentioned your fashion choices were included in that." Yang nearly fell over as she laughed even harder. The picture was immediately saved to her scroll's internal memory.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Jaune mentioned as he managed to recover his composure.

"Yeah Jaune wore a dress to our winter dance." Pyrrha told Keeper, making him smile as it was now Jaune's turn to be embarrassed.

"At least Keeper has the legs to pull it off." Kira commented as she replayed the video for what had to be at least the fourth time. It was rather hilarious to see her brother in such an embarrassing situation. At least one she hadn't caused.

"Don't forget he beat that Ursa _bear-handed _too," Yang couldn't resist the set-up. The shared cringe was enough to get everyone over the video of Keeper.

"I'll take that as my cue to finally go home." Keeper said, looking at the others as he started back for the city alone.

* * *

Everyone split up as they decided to take advantage of Keeper's bribes… or rather, his _exceptional hospitality_. Jaune and Pyrrha were using the basement sparring arena to train against each other and simulated opponents. Nora was in the armory, upgrading Magnhild's payload under the watchful eyes of Ren. Weiss declined to take advantage of Keeper's misfortune, for the moment. Blake was going through Keeper's private romance novel collection and Yang was hogging the living room TV for who knew what.

Which was why Keeper was in the backyard with Ruby, leading her to his greenhouse for the privacy he wanted with her. Once he opened the door, Ruby was swept into a world of fantastical colors. Flowers bloomed everywhere as succulent fruit dangled from trees, bushes, and trellises.

"Welcome to my true garden." Keeper told her as she reached out for one flower in particular. It reminded her of Keeper's symbol.

The flower's eight scarlet tipped petals gave way to a softer light purple around a heart like the night sky, starry and glowing. Gently cradling the bloom, she touched its petals and marveled at their silkiness.

"Never seen a flower like this before." She said, still lost in the flower's depths. She felt Keeper's arms encircle her, pulling them tightly together as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"It's called the Dragon's Oath. It doesn't naturally bloom anywhere outside of a small valley in Draconia. The very valley that Ranth was built in. But it's not nearly as beautiful as you." Keeper told her, kissing her cheek. She rolled her eyes at his obvious flattery, but she still blushed at the compliment.

"So how was the week of Grimm chasing?" She asked, turning around in his embrace to stare into his eyes. He couldn't look away as he felt her hands on his chest.

"It was fun, but it felt like I was missing something." Keeper told her, only to be cut off by her pecking him on the lips. He smiled for a second before kissing her back, letting themselves be lost in each other.

Eventually their lungs started to burn, giving Ruby the chance to ask, "Was that what you were missing?" Keeper smiled and shook his head, knowing exactly what he wanted to say.

"It was more than that. I missed you more than I've missed anything. I wanted to say…" Keeper felt the thunder inside him start up again, forcing him to focus on what he wanted to say. What he was trying to say.

He was about to start again when Ruby put a finger to his lips. He went cross-eyed as he tried to figure out why she was stopping him from saying anything. The thunder increased its tempo, nearly drowning out her words.

"I love you too." She said. His eyes refocused on hers, joyous grays meeting her love-filled silvers. He smiled and kissed her again, and they could practically hear the fireworks. They stopped and touched their foreheads together, and stared into each other's eyes.

"Let me say it. I love you Ruby Rose, and there is no force on Remnant that could make me stop loving you." Keeper whispered to her, and he watched her smile grow. They realized how long they had been out in the greenhouse, and started to leave when Keeper felt something shift inside him.

The thunder turned to lightning, pain flaring through every inch of his body. He gasped and crumpled to the ground, curling against the continued bolts of pain ripping through him. He could see Ruby kneel down next to him, only for everything to go black.


	12. Chapter 12

**Cliché cliffhanger at the end of last chapter. Sorry but not too sorry. Never promised there wouldn't be soap opera drama.**

**Chapter 12: Fall From Grace**

Keeper felt himself lying in a bed. He immediately knew it was a hospital bed from his many nights in them over his long lifetime. Always too firm for his tastes. But what irritated him more than the slow awakening of his senses was a constant beeping that was reaching his ears. In all his times in hospitals, he had never heard a sound quite like it and it was annoying enough that it was driving him closer to full consciousness.

His eyes snapped open, taking in the scene. Ruby was passed out in a chair nearby, wrapped up in the arms of a sleeping Yang. Tilting his head carefully, Keeper could make out a clock high on the wall. 4:27 in the morning. The same night he had passed out from… whatever it had been. The incessant beeping continued in the background, worming its irritating rhythm into his brain. He moved his head around, searching for its source. He ignored the machines that he already knew from previous visits, but failed to find the mysterious beeping object. He looked at his arms, glad to see no IVs or other items that would restrict him from sitting up. As a bonus, they hadn't stripped him of his normal clothes either.

He shifted his weight, and carefully climbed out of the bed. His bare feet touched the ice cold tiles, making him unconsciously recoil from the sensation. Steeling himself, he stood up trying to make as little noise as possible as he stood up. But it was enough to wake them.

Yang's eyes opened first, and she immediately frowned at Keeper. He did his best not to flinch at it until he realized it was a frown of concern. Ruby woke up next, her eyes widening as she noticed Keeper standing there. She flew to him, hugging him close as he did his best not to fall back onto the bed from her momentum and backbreaking force.

"Don't scare me like that!" Ruby squeezed him tighter, making him groan as the air was forced from his lungs. There was no defense that could effectively counter a bear hug from Ruby. She had learned from Yang after all.

"I. Won't." Keeper managed to gasp out, "Air. Need." Ruby let him go for a second before hugging him again. This time without crushing him.

"Do you enjoy making our lives more complicated or is it just a habit of yours?" Yang asked as she looked at him. He met her eyes, but didn't see anything more than concern and playfulness there.

"No, it's just a side effect of living. But do you know what that beeping is? Because it's really annoying." Keeper said as he tried to find the source of the irritant again. Yang looked at Ruby, who realized that Keeper didn't know yet.

"Do you not know what a heart-rate monitor is?" Yang asked, avoiding his eyes as Ruby continued to stand next to him, but let her arms drop to her sides as she let herself wonder how he would react.

"Of course I do. But they don't use them on Soulless because…" Keeper's voice quieted as it dawned on him. His hands flew to his left pec and he pressed into it. And he felt it for the first time. His own heart, beating. "Impossible."

Ruby put her hand over his and looked into his eyes. But where she saw the expected shock, she also found happiness. He couldn't stop his growing smile if he tried.

"That's what the doctors said. There's no precedent for it, so they're only speculating… but they think you might be normal now." Yang told him as he looked at her in confusion.

"Normal how?"

"Not totally human or Faunus normal… but they think you might be able to… get older."

"Are you saying….I'm mortal again?"

"That's how it looks." Ruby said, hugging him again. "Which means you've got to tell us when your birthday is."

* * *

Keeper checked himself out the hospital and left with the sisters to return the house. They walked in silence, the sky barely gray as the sun had yet to rise.

"You're taking this awfully well." Yang decided to say, just so they could break the quiet air of the near-dawn.

"I figured something like this would happen eventually. Always figured it wouldn't actually be me that started to find the way back to humanity but no complaints here."

"You want to be human again?"

"Who wouldn't?" The awkward silence that followed his comment made him uncomfortable. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad to find something… someone strong enough to stir an old heart of stone." Keeper reached for Ruby's hand and she eagerly threaded her fingers through his.

"Now, I think I owe you guys a special breakfast before the first rides start up." Keeper smiled at them, happy with the world.

* * *

The first few days of the week flew by as they spent every day out celebrating. They ran the midway thanks to Kira's advice and the teams spent their time as a large group, having as much fun as possible as they enjoyed their last week of freedom. It was on the last day of the Gathering that they remembered all that was waiting for them when they left Home for Beacon. The teams were sitting around the table in the dining room while Keeper was back in the kitchen cooking.

"So how much trouble do you think we'll be in when we get back?" Weiss asked, slightly nauseated at the idea of what awaited them. She had never been a troublemaker and it was bothering her immensely.

"Well considering we're bringing back Keeper, I don't think much. How much trouble could we get in for discovering a kingdom and helping them not fall to internal sabotage, then bringing back a representative of their people who wants to make an alliance?" Ren studiously answered, saying more than anyone expected on the subject.

"Depends on how much credit they'll give us considering our missed classwork." Blake answered, reminding them that they had left without considering their classes.

"At least we have some time until finals and the Vytal festival to make up the work." Yang pointed out.

"Not much if we have to walk." Jaune glumly remembered the two weeks it had taken to get here.

"I don't think Keeper is going to make us walk back." Ruby interjected. The door from the kitchen opened as Keeper came in carrying a fresh stack of pancakes. Nora eagerly dug into them as Keeper sat down.

"Of course we're not walking. That would take too long. We're taking an airship tomorrow." Keeper replied looking at their relieved expressions. Though Jaune looked slightly green.

"Good to know." Pyrrha said as she added motion sickness pills for Jaune to her mental checklist.

"Last day of festivities. So, let's go!" Ruby yelled, grabbing Keeper and sprinting out of the house with him. Everyone could only shake their heads and follow the energetic duo.

* * *

"Winner!" the claw-grab machine yelled as the prize dropped into the recovery slot. Ruby eagerly pulled out her prize, a large stuffed Beowulf with a small vial of Dust tied to a paw. She presented her prize to Keeper, who smiled and took a closer look at the vial. When he recognized the contents, his smile grew larger and a mischievous look found its way into his eyes.

"Hey Ruby, you want to prank everyone?"

* * *

Yang had just caught up with the others when she felt something around her shift. Before she knew what was going on, she felt herself being mercilessly tickled. She fell to the floor laughing and trying to push away her unseen assailant away as Jaune fell over, also falling to the hands of an unseen tickler.

As Weiss and Blake tried to help Yang, her assailant's touch disappeared. Yang tried to catch her breath enough to warn them, "W-watch out…" She didn't have a chance to finish it as Weiss found herself under the tickling assault of the unseen person. Before Blake could even consider using her semblance to distract the ambusher, she joined her teammates on the ground as she too was tickled.

Nora looked at Jaune, who was rolling on the ground under the force of his laughter. Looking at Ren, she exclaimed, "It's your turn Ren!" The poor boy didn't have time to escape as Nora latched onto him, tickling him into an uncontrolled frenzy of laughter. Pyrrha watched as Jaune finally stopped rolling, and bent down to make sure he was fine.

The five remaining friends soon noticed the sounds of two distinctly muffled voices laughing about something they clearly thought was very funny. Turning to the source of the noise they watched as a teary-eyed Ruby laughed beside an equally wet-eyed Keeper faded into existence together.

Yang couldn't stop herself as she realized what had happened, "You two!" That stopped their laughter as they noticed that Yang was pointing right at them. They looked down at themselves, comically realizing they were visible again.

"Uh-oh." Ruby said as Keeper pulled out an empty Dust vial, and quickly flung it away.

"When we get our hands on you…!" Weiss couldn't finish her sentence, choosing to wring the air with her hands instead.

As the five took a step closer to them, Keeper shouted, "Run!" Before they could pounce on the two speedsters, they vanished in a cloud of red and white petals.

"After them!" Yang yelled as everyone gave chase. Except for Ren and Nora, who were too busy in their own tickle fight to know what had just happened.

* * *

The sun was setting as Keeper hid behind a vendor's stall. He looked at Ruby, his co-prankster. They had almost gotten away with it, but the Shadow Dust had run out before they could make their escape. Now the others were hunting them, ready to pay them back for the prank. Keeper poked his head around the stall and noticed the coast was clear straight to the Ferris wheel. He looked at Ruby and smiled, glad that they had apparently escaped.

"All clear." They shared a sigh of relief, "You want to go on the Ferris wheel? The fireworks will start soon and it would be a good place to watch the show." Keeper held out his hand, inviting Ruby to relax now that they were safe.

"Sure." She said, and took his hand as they walked over to the ride. The line was short and most people were already getting off when they arrived. They soon found themselves in one of the chairs, rising to the zenith of the classic amusement park ride. When it lurched to a stop at the top, they held onto each other as the seat swung in the gentle breeze. The sun had completely set, giving them a clear view of the starry night as the moon watched with its shattered and glowing face.

They heard the whistle as the first firework launched, and did their best to guess where it would explode. Silver and gold embers filled the sky, blossoming as more whistles reached their ears. Red, green, blue, white, yellow, blue, and even purple explosions filled the sky with color. Keeper leaned back, and Ruby nestled her head into his chest as they watched the show. Keeper let his hand run through her hair as she snuggled in closer. As the grand finale started, Ruby shifted and kissed Keeper. He looked at her as the light of the fireworks illuminated her and smiled as he kissed her back. It was the perfect end to a week of fun.

* * *

The next morning everyone brought their bags out to the foyer as Keeper went around locking up the house. When they were ready to leave, a large truck arrived to transport their bags to the airship as they took one last walk through the city to the airfield on the far side.

When they finally reached the airfield, all they saw was a single air shuttle, which looked like a larger version of the one that carried the students of Beacon back and forth between the academy and the city.

"So how long is this going to take?" Weiss asked, questioning the ship's speed.

"We should be back in Vale airspace by this afternoon." Keeper replied as he noticed Kira waiting by the ship's entrance ramp.

"Hey, Keeper! Just wanted to say goodbye." She said as they walked up to her. She gave Keeper a quick hug before looking at the others, "Take care of him will you? He likes to get into trouble."

Keeper looked at her with his arms crossed, "I don't like trouble. To be honest, I think it's stalking me."

"Whatever you say, little brother." Kira ruffled his hair, his slightly annoyed expression making the moment more heartwarming. Her goodbye said, she walked away and quickly left the airfield.

"Let's go. We can't keep them waiting, can we?" Keeper told them, walking through the now-opened doors into the airship.

The friends found seats next to a large window and Jaune found himself not wanting to puke up his breakfast as they lifted off.

Before they knew it the city was fading into the distance and the trees blurred as they raced by under the ship. It didn't take long for boredom to set in as the speedy and peaceful flight continued.

"So, what's up with your swords? Didn't expect them to fuse into a sniper rifle during the battle last week." Yang asked, bored of watching Keeper sharpen the blades. He looked at her with a smug grin as he set down the stone he was using to keen the edge. He got everyone's attention so he could have an audience.

"Well let me tell you how this prototype combat lattice works." Keeper set the blades next to each other as everyone stared at the named swords. "The lattice works by being made of the components of all the weapons registered in its matrix. A single button press…" Keeper pushed the swords together, and they became a large claymore faster than anyone could actually see.

"That is so awesome! Does it come with a grenade launcher? How many different weapons are in there?" Nora asked as Keeper put the swords away.

"Unfortunately no, grenades are too big for the lattice to handle. And I have ten different weapons essentially in these swords."

"What are they? Are they as awesome as the swords?"

"Well I have: a pair of dueling pistols, a double barreled shotgun, the sniper rifle, an energy cannon, a personally mounted turret, a chakram launcher, the claymore, a swordstaff, a buzzsaw, and the swords as you saw." Ruby couldn't help but drool a little at the thought of being able to carry that many weapons at the same time. _If that's just a prototype, I can't wait to see the finished version._ A display suddenly appeared on the window, warning them they were entering Vale airspace. The ship slowed noticeably, but they didn't feel the deceleration as the ship slowed to the expected speed of an airship of their size.

"Sir, you may want to hear this." The pilot's voice informed them over the intercom. Keeper pulled out his scroll and quickly opened the ship's communication channel.

"Unidentified aircraft, identify yourself or prepare to be fired upon." A static-filled voice ordered them as two Bullheads pulled up alongside the airship.

"Let's see you talk your way out of this one." Yang sincerely requested, hoping that he actually could pull it off. Freefall from this height would kill anyone, even with their auras at max.

Clearing his throat quickly, Keeper answered, "This a diplomatic vessel sent by the Kingdom of Ranth to Vale with ambassadors onboard. We are flying under a banner of non-hostility."

"We have no record of either your kingdom or any 'ambassadors' arriving. You have thirty seconds to identify yourself properly or be destroyed."

"Listen, patch us through to the headmaster of Beacon Academy. I have several of his students onboard." Keeper quickly answered, pulling his trump card out. He waited for a response while looking at the others.

"Maintain current position while we verify your statement. Over." The channel dropped as the Bullheads cut out.

Everyone looked at each other, knowing their fates now lay in someone else's hands.

* * *

_**At Beacon Academy…..**_

Ozpin looked at the incoming call from Ironwood with disdain. While they were old friends, the relationship was…_strained_ currently. Nevertheless, he accepted the video call.

"Oz, we need you to confirm something for us." Ironwood said, his face impassive.

"What is it now?" Ozpin replied, taking a sip from his ever-present mug. It was the best way to hide his annoyance.

"There's an airship claiming to have several of your students onboard under the pretense of a diplomatic mission. Can you confirm that?" Ironwood asked, locking his eyes to Ozpin's.

Ozpin paused, wracking his brain for the answer. He knew where all of his students were. Almost all of them. _Could it be too much to hope for?_ He thought to himself. Even he had given up hope on that risky move.

"Oz." He snapped out of his reverie, refocusing on the general.

"Link into a video call, then I can confirm." Ozpin informed him.

* * *

Everyone was surprised that they hadn't been shot out of the sky yet. When a video call confirmation came up on the window display, they were hesitant before they realized who it had to be.

Ozpin's nonplussed expression was the best thing they could have seen. Ironwood's scowling face less so, but at least it meant they weren't dead yet.

"You do understand you've been classified as missing and presumed killed for the last two months?" Ozpin directed his question to his students, but still noting the mysterious ninth person sitting in.

"Uh, sorry?" Ruby tried as she shrunk in her seat from the combined stares of Ozpin and Ironwood. Ozpin quickly filled Ironwood in on what he could as the students interjected some details of their own.

"Why didn't you tell me, Oz?!" Ironwood yelled at his counterpart. He could only wonder how many other things Ozpin was hiding from him at the moment. Besides the ones he been informed about.

"Because I didn't expect this. Even I couldn't have predicted an entire kingdom actually existing and hiding beyond our borders. I was expecting at best an intact ruin. I'm good but not that good." Ozpin flatly replied.

"My apologies. My people have been rather….unenthused about making contact until I convinced them otherwise." Keeper stated, directing the stares to him.

"And just who are you?" Ozpin asked, curiosity piqued by the black-haired boy with two swords clearly placed in front of him in a display of power.

"You can call me Keeper. I'm my people's appointed diplomat and ambassador to the kingdom of Vale and any other kingdoms that wish to consider the opportunity."

"Well, Keeper, then you should be glad to know that my friend General Ironwood is here from Atlas to oversee the security of our current Vytal festival. Though perhaps it would be easier to discuss these things…. In person?" Ozpin provided the opening they needed, and Keeper answered before Ironwood could interject.

"Of course."

"Mr. Ironwood, if you would be so kind as to have the Bullheads escort their ship to the Beacon landing zone, it would be appreciated." Ozpin told his friend as he hung up. Ironwood shot Keeper a strong stink-eye before he hung up as well.

"Well that went better than expected." Keeper turned and noticed everyone else's less than happy expressions. "What?"

* * *

The airship landed at Beacon and they were quickly separated and put into different rooms to await their individual meetings with Headmaster Ozpin. Keeper sat in an empty classroom until Professor Goodwitch came for him. When he exited the elevator, he was surprised. Ruby's description of the office as "ginormous" was fairly accurate, yet left out the stellar intricacies of the clockwork mechanisms above his head.

"Have a seat, Mister Edens. I must say I am surprised by what my students have told me about the events that have taken place since they left our borders. I'm sure you can help shed some light on some things." Ozpin said as Keeper studied the headmaster.

"Very well, ask away." Keeper replied, meeting Ozpin's even gaze.

"Interesting. They tell me that you asked for their help in rooting out a danger to your people. Would you care to elaborate?" Ozpin looked at his scroll, searching through several documents.

"They arrived with a message from my unfortunate envoy to expect a betrayal during our own festival that we recently finished celebrating. I asked them to stay because I was certain that they would be the only reason this betrayal would fail. And I was proven correct several times. We did remove the threat, and I can say with absolute certainty that they were vital to this."

"Now is it true that you are not just your people's diplomat, but also the former leader of your people?" Keeper stiffened at the implications. _What did they tell him?_ He could only wonder. He had a personal rule about not becoming a science experiment if he could avoid it.

"It's true."

"I'm impressed. Not many people could achieve what you have at so young an age, considering the responsibilities of being a leader to an entire nation."

_Wait, what?_ "Uh, thanks?"

"And am I incorrect to believe that you wish to attend Beacon as well? Considering they mentioned how often you personally fought Grimm and already expressed interest in doing so."

"I-I would be honored to even have a chance at it. But there is something you should know… About my past…."

"Say no more. You will officially start as a second-year student next semester. You'll be an independent until we can fill in the rest of a team, as a kind of experiment and peace offering. I suggest you take the remaining time in this semester to become familiar with the city and school. If you're going to be a student here, you need to leave your past behind and be ready to understand our people. Besides, you're not the only one with a…rocky start to their education." Ozpin snuck in the possible dig before dismissing him.

As Keeper left the office, Glynda looked at Ozpin. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Ozpin closed his eyes, still processing the influx of information from the returning students. "Which part: Letting someone in that I can't even begin to comprehend into our school or excusing them from their missing classwork for their real-life experience."

"Both."

"We have to wait and see."

* * *

Keeper stepped off the elevator, only to realize he didn't know his way around. He decided to walk out in a single direction and hope he ran into someone he knew. He soon found himself lost, and decided now might be a good time to start mapping this place out.

* * *

Team RWBY sat in their dorm, waiting for any kind of indication from Keeper as to what happened. They had been surprised when Headmaster Ozpin had chosen not to expel them, but instead waive their infractions and give them credit in all their classes for missed assignments. Something like this had been part of their wildest hopes, but they knew it was because they had actually succeeded in finding the hidden kingdom that they weren't in trouble.

When Ozpin had asked about Keeper, they and Team JNPR had all agreed to lie and say that he was a prodigy, much like Ruby was. Ozpin had accepted it, but whether he believed it was something else entirely. He even agreed to extend an invitation to join Beacon to the warrior from the hidden kingdom.

"Do you think Ozpin is asking him for every bit of information on his kingdom?" Blake wondered, knowing that Keeper would be a trove of knowledge to anyone who knew what to ask for.

"More likely he and Ozpin are talking about his background and education up to this point. The headmaster can't run a background check on him, leaving our word as the only testimony to his abilities." Weiss decided, looking at Yang and Ruby for any constructive additions to the conversation.

"My best guess is he's lost somewhere in the school." Yang said with a shrug.

"Why would think that?" Ruby asked. They all knew Keeper wouldn't let himself get lost. Between his Scroll and his sense of direction they had never gotten lost in the city.

"Because I have his scroll." Yang held up the device in question, confirming her words.

"Why didn't you say something sooner? How did you get that?" Weiss accused her. No one just let their Scroll get taken. No one, except Keeper apparently.

"Before you get any bad ideas, I took it to help him. You know, program it with everything he needed. I just didn't get a chance to give it back before we got broken up for interviews." Yang quickly replied, tossing the device to a nearby desk.

A hearty knock on their window made them turn, revealing Sun standing on the windowsill and holding Zwei with dopey smiles on both of their faces.

* * *

Keeper continued to wander around, and soon found himself in an arena watching a two on two match between four guys. Two of them were taller, one with blue hair and one with dark-orange hair. The other two were shorter, one with a terrible haircut and the other had a Mohawk and was the only one not wearing armor. He watched for some time before one of them noticed.

"Hey!" the blue-haired one said, swinging his halberd to point at Keeper, "Get out of here! This is our practice time!"

"Yeah!" The Mohawk guy backed him up, brandishing his two daggers. The others stood there looking smug.

Keeper couldn't resist the opening they made for him to comment. "Practice implies you are trying to get better. All I'm seeing is a bunch of morons flailing weapons they can barely handle."

The immediate looks of fury Keeper got from the four told him he had struck a nerve._ Whoops_.

"No one makes fun of Team Cardinal new guy. No one." The orange haired guy held up his mace threateningly.

"Might I suggest reconsidering before I'm forced to pluck your feathers?" Keeper answered, letting the swords on his hips find the light as he pointed them out.

"Time to teach you a lesson!" They charged at Keeper, only for him to vanish in a cloud of petals. They turned around and noticed him standing on the far side of the arena. He drew his swords, making sure to let them drag out in a display of apathy.

"Class is in session." Keeper said before making his own charge.

* * *

Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Sun all followed Zwei as the corgi ran through the halls, following Keeper's scent. They crossed the campus several times as Zwei raced around.

"So how will we know if we've found him?" Sun asked as Zwei made a turn and they knew the dog was headed for the library.

"We'll be able to follow his screams for help as he tries to fight off every girl in the school. He's a natural boytoy like that." Yang answered as they reached the doors of the library. Ruby quickly bundled Zwei away as they walked in, not wanting to let anyone know they still had Zwei since pets were… discouraged. They noticed a bunch of people checking their scrolls and eagerly leaving whatever they were doing to storm towards the doors. They barely got out of the way as the herd of students pushed their way out.

"What's going on?" Blake asked one of the students still trickling out of the library.

"Some guy is taking on Team CRDL all alone and beating their asses. It's turning out to be as good as when Pyrrha Nikos did it." He said before hurrying to catch up with the crowd.

"Well, that didn't take long." Weiss admitted as they ran to catch the unscheduled match.

* * *

Keeper stood across the arena from his opponents, ready to continue giving his advice.

"You should really try to coordinate better as team members. Really it's like having four goats attacking rather than a case of being numerically outmatched." He told them as they stared at the speedster. They had spent the last ten minutes trying to land a single blow, but even as Keeper dodged and evaded he never attacked, only dispensing advice instead. Keeper let his swords come together at his side, a clear baiting tactic.

Russell used the "opening" to attack by hurling himself in a spinning dash at Keeper. The others moved to close the gap, slightly behind Russell's lead. When Russell came close enough, Keeper dropped to the floor, and let his swords change to their shotgun mode before blasting the surprised Russell further into the air.

Keeper let the recoil of the shotgun propel him across the floor, allowing him to trip his three other opponents before launching himself into the air above Russell. He gave the startled boy a smile before kicking Russell back into the ground near his fallen teammates. To add injury to the insult, Keeper landed on Russell's back, driving any air from his lungs as his Aura dropped dangerously low. The shotgun broke up, turning back into their base swords.

The crowd roared at the display as the remainder of Team CRDL picked itself up, unsure of how to handle this threat now that they had an audience. Keeper blew a kiss to the crowd and bowed, receiving cheers and more than a few fangirls' screams.

* * *

Ruby and the others arrived just as Keeper landed on Russell. They noticed how crowded the bleachers were already and it soon became clear that Keeper already had a fan club when he blew a kiss out into the crowd. A large fan club judging by the loudness of the shrieks of joy from a cluster of girls near the railing.

"Looks like you have some competition to watch out for." Yang told Ruby as they sat down to watch Keeper continue his fight. Ruby did her best not to react to Yang's comment, instead choosing to focus on her boyfriend as he stood smiling for the counterattack.

They watched as Keeper waited until Dove opened fire before continuing his domination of the team.

* * *

Keeper flipped backwards, letting his swords change modes into his swordstaff as Dove shot at him. Lark and Cardin raced forward under their teammates covering fire, and closed the distance to Keeper.

Dove stopped firing and charged as Cardin swung high and Lark aimed low. Keeper blocked both swings simultaneously, taking advantage of the staff's reach to keep him safe as he planted one end into the ground and swung around the weapon to kick at Cardin's exposed chest. The brute stumbled back as Keeper flipped his weapon out of the ground and turned his back to Lark.

Lark swung his halberd, intending to catch his opponent's back. Keeper didn't even look as he blocked the swing, and twisted his staff so the blade was pointed at Lark's face.

He hit a button as Lark disengaged, propelling the blunted tip into Lark's face before rebounding back into its spot in the staff. The blue-haired giant stumbled back as Cardin and Dove readied to engage Keeper again. But Keeper didn't give them a chance as his staff broadened into a chakram launcher, firing the dangerous circular blades at the two of them. They dodged the large blades, forced back by the power of the blades' explosive impacts. But Keeper was already returning his focus to his isolated opponent.

Lark's eyes refocused just in time to catch sight of Keeper pointing the end of his energy cannon at him. His Aura took the brunt of the hit, but he was still tossed into the wall with enough force for the crowd to feel the impact through their feet. Keeper looked at his two remaining opponents, a predatory grin coming to his face as he dashed at them. His swords reappeared, their edges glowing purple as Keeper charged an attack.

Dove and Cardin withstood the wave of energy that Keeper threw at them with his swords, forcing them to let Keeper get in close. Keeper's onslaught of swings were parried and blocked to the best of their abilities until Keeper managed to handle-lock both of them with his swords, leaving him standing between them as they bore their weight down on their challenger.

"Sorry, chumps." Keeper said, touching the buttons on his sword's hilts, disengaging their blades as the handles snapped into pistol modes. Without the resistance of the blades, Dove and Cardin stumbled, bringing their faces close enough to the pistol's barrels for Keeper to not waste time aiming.

Two shots of Ice Dust froze their eyes closed as Keeper swept across the floor, recovering his sword blades. Choosing his target, Keeper slammed both pommels into Dove's stunned face, knocking him out as Cardin broke the ice and looked at Keeper with pure rage.

Cardin thumbed his mace's trigger, releasing the fire Dust as he swung at Keeper's head. But he missed as Keeper rolled between his legs, letting his swords fall back into their sheaths. Keeper came up, hands in proper boxing form as Cardin turned around. Cardin moved, not wanting to give the slippery boy a chance to counterattack. But he had no target as Keeper vanished into petals, followed by a burning pain in his knee. He felt his leg collapse as something wrapped itself around his neck and the arm he was wielding his mace with. Cardin realized he was in scissor-hold, just as Keeper pulled him into the air and slammed into the ground headfirst.

Keeper kicked off of Cardin, driving his face back into the ground as he landed in the center of the arena. He looked at his four opponents, all defeated and in varying states of unconsciousness.

He turned to his adoring audience, bowing as he heard several familiar voices amidst the cheers. He soon located Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and Blake alongside a blonde monkey Faunus he had never seen before. Glad to see some familiar faces, he headed to the locker room to try and clean up. The dirt stains in his pants might be tougher to beat than Team CRDL.

* * *

The five of them waited for Keeper to exit the arena and found it already crowded by his fans. Keeper stepped out, only to be mobbed by people and their questions. They lost sight of Keeper in the press of bodies until they heard, "Let's leave before they realize I'm over here."

They turned to Keeper, a playful grin on his face. Realizing he was right, they hurried back to the Team RWBY dorm.

* * *

"So you're the Sun that they kept talking about. A pleasure to meet you." Keeper said, and noticed that Zwei was looking at him expectantly. Keeper picked up the dog and sat down on Weiss's bed, setting Zwei in his lap so he could pet the corgi without interfering with the conversation. Blake did her best to keep as far from the pair as possible.

"Yep. And you must be the mysterious stranger who sent them the message that got me stuck dogsitting for two months. Nice work on Team Cardinal by the way." Sun said, sitting on the windowsill to enjoy the evening's warm breeze. Keeper nodded his thanks as he looked to the others.

"You say that like you weren't watching over the most adowable wittle puppy evah!" Weiss gushed, making Keeper's eyes widen with concern. He didn't know she was capable of speaking like that.

"Is that normal?" Keeper asked, looking at Ruby and Yang for an answer.

"She likes Zwei a lot." Yang answered as Ruby set herself down next to Keeper. They quickly held hands as Zwei spread himself across both of their laps. "Which reminds me, this is yours." Yang tossed Keeper his scroll, which he put into a pocket.

"Anyways, welcome to Beacon and try not to get into too much trouble." Sun told him, then smiled, "Wait, you're already friends with them. Trouble follows them everywhere. Get ready to never be bored again."

"Taken care of." Keeper replied, then quickly pecked Ruby's cheek. The three girls didn't react, having gotten used to the displays from Keeper. Sun however, was shocked by it and nearly fell back as he jumped.

"Woah. No one told me that happened. What did I miss?" He asked, looking at his friends and their visitor.

"Well, it all started when we finished our hike out to this clearing…." Blake started the story.

* * *

The next morning they woke up with plenty of time to get ready, thanks to Keeper's early morning schedule still being imprinted on them. When they were nearly ready to leave, a message from Ozpin appeared.

"Attention. All students are to report to the auditorium for a special announcement concerning recent events. That is all." Glynda Goodwitch's voice told them.

"Four guesses to figure out what it's about." Blake said as she looked at her teammates.

* * *

As the last students filtered into the auditorium, Ozpin took his place at the microphone and ushered them to silence.

"Students," He began his speech, "As you may have heard, a special operations team was dispatched two months ago to investigate an unknown communication from lands far from any known kingdom. As of yesterday, the team returned and has brought back their findings." Keeper stepped out of the shadows behind Ozpin, eliciting cries of recognition. "The team discovered the source of the communications, a hidden kingdom that was in need of aid. They have sent a diplomat not only begin negotiations with our kingdoms, but to also observe and learn about us. I would like to introduce said diplomat, as he wishes to speak to you." Ozpin stepped aside as Keeper strode right to the podium.

Everyone got quiet as they realized that Keeper was the diplomat.

"Thank you Headmaster. My name is Keeper and I have been sent by my people to serve as their voice to the other kingdoms. However, I am also going to be here as a student, learning alongside all of you. I am glad to meet your kingdoms' finest during my stay here. Thank you." Keeper kept his speech brief before Ozpin returned and dismissed everyone back to their normally scheduled classes.

* * *

They were sitting in Professor Oobleck's class, taking notes as their caffeinated teacher spoke about the Faunus Rights Revolution. At least the assembly had ran through their first class. When everyone in the class heard the door swing open, even Oobleck turned to see who was interrupting his class. Keeper looked surprised, convinced he had been quiet. His eyes found Teams RWBY and JNPR near the front and he grinned.

"Well, if it isn't our special guest. Do please find an empty seat." Professor Oobleck said between sips of coffee.

"Sorry to be an interruption." Keeper said as he took a seat in the back of the class. Almost immediately Oobleck continued his lecture. Everyone on in the front rows resisted the urge to look as they heard people moving in the back of the room. When the bell rang to dismiss them from class, they looked back at Keeper's spot. Every girl not on the two teams had clustered around Keeper, who looked rather uncomfortable with his predicament as the newest eye candy.

"Do you want to come to lunch with us?" Yang asked, earning glares from Keeper's groupies. The look of relief on his face was the only answer they needed.

"Pardon me." Keeper said as he waded through to his friends. They all rushed out of the room, not wanting to be followed by the Keeper fan-club.

When they made it to the cafeteria, they quickly got their food and sat in their usual spots. Team JNPR on one side and Team RWBY on the other with Keeper sitting next to Ruby.

"So what do you think of Beacon so far?" Pyrrha asked Keeper as he inspected his scroll.

"Fascinating. Simply fascinating. Most people are quite welcoming, considering I arrived near the end of the semester. Though I am quite worried about the large number of girls that seem to have taken an interest in me." Keeper explained as he received a message from someone. He seemed distracted by whatever it was.

"That problem will go away once they realize that you and Ruby are together." Yang answered, catching a piece of food tossed to her by Nora.

"Important message?" Ruby asked as she noticed Keeper frowning at his scroll. He took a bite of an apple before answering, "I'm going to miss afternoon classes. They need my help to establish a system link between the CCT and the Village Networks."

"That means you'll miss combat training and sparring with Professor Goodwitch. Can't they get someone else to do it?" Jaune asked, glad to have another guy at the table other than the fairly silent Ren. He was also secretly glad that Keeper wouldn't be there to humiliate whoever he fought.

"Once we establish the connection, we should be able to start setting up air travel and bring enough specialists and equipment in to make everything work." He answered before finishing his apple in two large bites. "Oh yeah, can you remind me to show you my dorm so you can visit? It's weird without other people around that actually want to have a normal conversation."

"Of course." Pyrrha answered.

"Thanks. You guys have fun without me." Keeper got up, his food only half-finished as he picked up his tray. He quickly pecked a kiss onto Ruby's cheek before leaving. Ruby couldn't stop her smile from growing as the others looked on like nothing had happened.

"Do you think that guy's for real?" A certain bully's very annoying voice carried to them from its table. They all looked over at Cardin and his team, sitting where they usually did. But they didn't look their best. Cardin had a black eye, Lark's face was two shades of tan, Dove was squinting more than usual, and Russell's shoulder was tilted slightly out of place.

"I don't think he's normal, but I highly doubt he's some prodigy from outside the known kingdoms. Maybe he's one of those Atlas experiments that escaped and managed to survive on its own to build a cult to itself or something." Cardin told his team, watching them nod. "Either way, we need to teach him a lesson. I want you guys to find out everything you can about him."

Ruby turned, but Weiss grabbed her shoulder. Everyone at the table was ready to jump Cardin if he actually threatened Keeper.

Just then Ruby received a message, prompting her to pull out her scroll. "Uh-oh." She said as she showed her team. Ozpin wanted her in his office. Immediately.

"Don't be too long. We still have class." Blake reminded the team leader as she left the table.

* * *

Ruby soon found herself back in a familiar spot as Ozpin sat at his desk.

"Before you worry, you're not here because you're in trouble." Ozpin reassured her, "However, I asked you here to fill in some blanks."

"Of course." Ruby replied, relaxing slightly.

"What can you tell me about the beings called Soulless?"

* * *

Keeper looked at the oversized tower in front of him. Sure it was smaller than the skyscrapers of Home, but it had an elegance to it that the concrete titans couldn't compete with. He walked into the building, surprised at the ease of access.

Though he jumped when the elevator started talking to him.

* * *

"Interesting Miss Rose. So you're saying that they are a kind of human or Faunus golem?" Ozpin pressed his fingertips together, intense stare fixed on Ruby.

"Uh, I guess. I mean, they're still themselves. I think. But they just don't have Auras…" Ruby's confused sputtering stopped under the headmaster's inspection.

"And what about these three books?" Ozpin held up the journals that Keeper had given to Ruby to give to him.

* * *

Keeper couldn't believe that they were this far behind. No wonder they hadn't found his people. After taking the time to access one of their nearby orbiting satellites, he set about synchronizing its tightbeam data streams to interface with the CCT.

Setting the coordinates of the CCT to lock it into the satellite's path, he smiled. Once it passed over tonight, the CCT would uplink to the Network.

* * *

"And what about this 'Keeper' they mention several times?" Ozpin pointed to the translated pages, "Especially considering that our current visitor happens to bear something of a resemblance to the described person?"

Ruby knew she shouldn't lie right now. That she should tell Ozpin who Keeper really was. What Keeper really was. "The name Keeper is a hereditary title. They must be talking about an ancestor of his." Too late now that she had lied.

Ozpin looked at her, and Ruby did her best not to flinch. "Very well. Thank you for the clarifications. It is proving rather irritating that he has already become quite popular for General Ironwood's requests. You are dismissed."

* * *

To say Ironwood couldn't take his eyes off of Keeper was an understatement. Sure, Keeper had gotten used to some less than polite stares over the centuries thanks to his good looks, but Ironwood's stare was closer to a doctor's bone saw on his back. He set his face in stone so the man wouldn't see how rattled he was by a mere stare. An admittedly terrifying stare, but still.

"Anything else today, General?" Keeper asked, turning to meet his gaze with an impassive expression.

"No, we'll continue tomorrow." He told Keeper, who gratefully left his presence. Once he was back in the speaking elevator, he relaxed. Maybe boring might be a nice change of pace to try out.

* * *

"Remnant to Ruby. Class is over." Weiss shook the red-themed girl, snapping her out of her own thoughts.

"Thanks Weiss," Ruby said as she joined the flow of people heading to their dorms.

"What's got you so distracted? Not enough kisses from your boyfriend today?" Yang teased, but she knew something serious was bothering her little sister. Ruby waited until the team was safely back in their dorm before answering.

"I lied to Headmaster Ozpin!" She squeaked out, panic closing her throat. She zipped up to her bed, waiting for Weiss or Yang or even Blake to yell at her.

"What did you lie to him about?" Blake asked carefully, not wanting to upset anyone unnecessarily.

"He asked a lot questions about Keeper's history. Like the really old stuff. I think he might know that Keeper is Soulless, but he's not sure if we know. If that makes sense." Ruby replied. She looked at her teammates, relieved that no one seemed angry.

"Well that was some quick thinking, Rubes. Good work covering everyone's tails for another day." Yang told her.

Weiss looked at her scroll as it went off with its usual blaring noise. She looked at it, letting the others continue discussing the newest layers of their deception as she read the message.

"Okay, Keeper is on his way back to his room and wants everyone to meet there in a half-hour. Both teams too." Weiss told them. They looked at her like she had grown a second head. "What?"

"He sent you a message? And didn't send one to Ruby?" Blake asked, trying to get a look at the message. Weiss immediately twisted away, only for Yang to snatch her scroll away and start to read the message out loud:

"'Weiss. I'm on my way back to my room and I'm sending you the location for several reasons.

'If I send it to Ruby, she wouldn't bother telling you before she ran out to meet me there.' He knows you pretty well Rubes.

'If I tried to send it to any of team JNPR, Nora would show up with some kind of crazy prank or worse.' Got her pegged.

'If I send it to Blake, she'll make up some excuse to not come herself.' Accurate.

'If I send it to Yang, she'll make sure Ruby shows up alone to my room.' I would never! Oh who am I kidding? Of course I would. They just belong together!

'Long story short, you're the only one that can do this right.

P.S. I have a present for everyone."

"I don't know whether to be impressed or insulted." Blake said, crossing her arms as Weiss managed to take back her scroll from the blonde.

"We can settle that later. Right now, we should probably get our homework done before heading over." Weiss reminded them as she pulled out a textbook to the complaints of her teammates.

* * *

Keeper looked at his dorm room, slightly disappointed. After living in the same house since he'd built it more than three hundred years ago, living anywhere else felt…_wrong_.

"Well, I'll get over it." He told himself as he stacked the extra beds on top of each other. He turned to look at his boxes of personal items and looked at the largest box, and smiled. "They won't believe the surprise I have for them."

* * *

The teams looked at the dorm room, checking its number against the one on the message. They looked at each other and it fell to Ruby to knock on the door. But before she could even start to hit the thing, it opened, revealing Keeper smiling.

"Hurry!" He reached out and managed to pull all eight of them into the room before slamming the door shut.

"What was…?" They all started to say until Keeper shushed them, turning to stare at the door. They heard several people stomping around, clearly trying to search for something.

"When I find out where that freak is, I'm going to make him pay." Cardin's voice carried to them, followed by a suspicious squelching noise. Clearly Team CRDL was on the hunt.

"I hate rice pudding." Lark mentioned to his teammates, likely the source of the squelching. Eventually the noises faded and Keeper turned back with a smile.

"Welcome to my home away from Home." He gestured to the room. One bed was untouched, while the others were stacked to the ceiling. The desks had been pushed together to form an oversized workspace covered with weapon parts, class notes, textbooks, and a variety of office supplies. The most peculiar thing was the large potted tree next to the window. Even though it was getting dark out, they could see a small window box of flowers outside. In the empty space left over, a long table and a dozen seats were posted around it.

"Why do you have a tree?" Ren asked, inspecting it and its pot. The tree in question looked totally ordinary, other than the slight gleam of something red hidden in its leafy branches.

"Because it's my secret ingredient and personal responsibility." Keeper answered, pulling out a watering can from a small bookshelf under the window to water the tree.

"What do you mean secret ingredient?" Weiss asked as Blake narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"To my cookies. Why else would I have a strawberry tree? They're berries have even more natural sugar than most people can handle. Great for an instant sugar rush." Keeper said as he put a hand into the leaves and pulled out an apple-sized strawberry. Ruby would have plucked the entire tree clean if Yang and Weiss hadn't grabbed her by the hood. Even then they had to struggle to stop her. Super sweet and oversized strawberries were a dream literally come true for her. And a living nightmare for anyone else.

"Last time I checked, strawberries didn't grow on trees." Blake said, watching as Keeper tossed the fruit to Nora, who barely kept it out of the reach of Ruby as she lunged for it. Pyrrha added her weight to the group restraining Ruby, but even that was becoming even more of a challenge with the tantalizing fruit that close.

"Sad story really. They were common up until a leaf blight nearly wiped them out a few millennia ago. The worst part is that the survivors don't reproduce that often, so it's hard to repopulate them. But they produce fruit quickly and all year long." Keeper said as he reached into the tree again, and pulled out a much more normal-sized strawberry. He casually tossed it to Ruby as he turned to look at Jaune and Ren who had been watching the exchange with amusement.

"I kind of want to know what happened that Cardin so mad at you. I mean he doesn't normally go out of his way to hunt down someone to mess with. He's an opportunist like that." Jaune mentioned, looking at the door to Keeper's room.

"He's mad about the match yesterday. Guess he wasn't ready to be taught a lesson by me." Keeper shrugged his shoulders, glancing at Ruby as she finished off the strawberry he had tossed her in a single bite.

For a second she seemed calm, and smiled at everyone as innocently as she could. Which made Nora lower her guard enough for Ruby to get a hand on the much-larger strawberry. Soon the five girls were involved in a struggle to take back the oversized fruit as Keeper, Blake, Jaune, and Ren ignored it. No one wanted Ruby on a sugar high with classes tomorrow.

"I forgot you guys missed that." Blake apologized, having forgotten that they hadn't included their friends on the search for Keeper yesterday.

"As bad as Pyrrha's?" Ren asked, looking at Keeper with a slight smile.

"Possibly worse. He even gave them advice as he beat them up." Blake answered. Jaune found it the idea of Cardin and his gang of bullies getting schooled in both senses of the phrase too hilarious and doubled over laughing.

"No wonder they wanted to find you." Jaune said after he managed to calm himself down.

"Actually that's not why he was searching for me this time." Keeper's relaxed smile turned mischievous as the others looked at him. Blake recognized that look. She had Yang as a partner, so she needed to know it. It meant that a pranking was afoot.

"What did you do?" Blake warily questioned, wondering what someone like Keeper could come up with.

"Well, they came looking for me to discuss the possibility of a rematch, but they didn't have my room number," Keeper coyly explained, "I guess at some point they lost the little toy I found and being the kind, caring person I am I returned it. Along with a large helping of rice pudding as a… peace offering."

"You are crazier than Nora." Ren deadpanned. But all of them could see the slight twitch of a smile forming on his face. A particularly loud yell for help made them turn around and notice the fight over the strawberry was still going.

"Should we break it up?" Jaune asked, stepping back slightly as the cloud of violence shifted closer. He wasn't looking to get sucked in unprepared.

"I've got it." Keeper declared as he fearlessly leapt into the melee. After a few seconds the cloud dispersed.

Keeper stood tall, holding the still-undamaged strawberry above his head as Ruby climbed on him in an attempt to grab it. Nora, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Yang all sat on the floor, wondering what had happened and how Keeper had been able to get the fruit in all the chaos. Keeper merely shook his head and set his mouth in a hard line.

He reached out with a single hand and caught Ruby by her shoulders, and swung her to face him with her feet planted on the ground. She immediately turned on her puppy-dog eyes, trying to get what she wanted. For a second, everyone thought that Ruby was about to win, which would have spelled disaster for them.

"You only get the strawberry when you've kissed me as many times as it would take to finish it in bites." Keeper told her, a rather self-pleased grin on his face. For a second, everyone's eyes widened as they recognized the blatant extortion in front of them as Ruby contemplated the answer. Then she smiled as she threw her arms around Keeper's neck and pulled him into a kiss. One that kept going and going as Keeper's arms naturally drifted to hold her, pulling her closer.

The fruit was forgotten entirely as the friends watched the impromptu make-out session rev up. They quickly backed out of the dorm, no longer comfortable in the room.

"Just have her back before midnight!" Yang stammered as the door slammed shut, doing her best to not imagine what Keeper and Ruby might continue to do.

As soon as the door slammed shut, they pulled back and took a moment to catch their breath.

"You were planning that from the beginning weren't you?" Ruby asked him, arms still around his neck.

"Maybe." Keeper smiled and avoided her eyes as he held up the strawberry in front of her. Her eyes widened and she felt her mouth start to water. "We can eat this now, or tomorrow I can bring a fresh batch of cookies in the morning." Ruby answered by grabbing it and taking a large bite.

Keeper laughed and snuck a bite in before she quickly finished the fruit and turned her attention back to him. They held hands as they stared into each other's eyes.

"So what was the surprise for everyone?" She asked, touching their foreheads together before sharing a quick kiss.

"Oh, just everyone getting medals and salaries from the council for putting up with me. They're really glad they don't have to deal with me personally anymore." Keeper told her as he spun them in a little circle.

"Really?" Ruby asked.

"Of course." Keeper looked at his scroll, warning him that midnight was soon. "You'd better hurry back to your room. You don't want Yang to throw me through a wall do you?"

"Maybe a roof or window, but not a wall." Ruby answered straight-faced. "Before I forget, do you want your journal back?" She pulled out the book.

"You can have it. It's easier than spending days telling you my entire life story." Keeper smiled warmly at her.

"Ok, if you want it in the same dorm as Yang…" Ruby coyly said as she walked to the door. Keeper quickly cut her off, realizing what could happen.

"On second thought, I'll just find a spot for it here." He apologized as he swiped the journal up. "Now hurry. Midnight is in five minutes!"

"Bye!" Ruby hugged Keeper before running from the room in a cloud of rose petals.

* * *

With one minute to go, Ruby made it back to the dorm. Her teammates had already gotten dressed for bed, so Ruby grabbed her pajamas and quickly changed.

Once she was dressed, Yang decided to ask, "So how many kisses did it take to get the strawberry?"

Ruby responded by throwing a pillow at her.

* * *

**And thus ends the first arc of this story. Now that they're back in Vale and settling in again, what could possibly go wrong? **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Trouble Keeps Coming**

The next morning teams RWBY and JNPR were on their way to Professor Port's morning class when they heard someone sprinting, followed by a high-pitched shrieking. They knew what was happening without turning. Keeper abruptly appeared in their midst, looking slightly disheveled. The sounds of his fan club were already getting louder as they got closer to the classroom.

He reached out for Ruby's free hand and took it just as a mob of girls came around the corner. Their faces all fell as they noticed Keeper was already holding hands with somebody. Their sadness turned to shock as they realized whose hand he was holding.

* * *

Keeper decided to sit between Yang and Ruby, apparently fearing for his life after the vengeful looks of his already impressive fan club had caught up to him. He waited until Port was focused on his lecture before speaking.

"I don't know what's worse: This lecture or the fact that almost every girl in this school wants a piece of me despite my stating otherwise." He whispered, doing his best to look like he was taking notes. Port was off-topic again, this time talking about some personal adventure involving a pair of ski goggles and several Ursa. Ruby was asleep, her head on his shoulder as she tried to snuggle closer. Keeper could practically feel the hairs on the back of his neck burst into flames under the jealous gazes of the girls watching the two of them.

"Warned you." Yang whispered back. She couldn't do much else since Keeper had clearly dug himself a deep enough hole as it stood.

"Not helping." He answered, just a little too loudly. Port stopped his lecture and turned to Keeper. Luckily Ruby had also awoken and Port had completely missed her sleeping in the front row as part of some divine miracle.

"Mister Keeper, is it? Perhaps you can tell me how to determine when an Ursa is preparing to hibernate?" The professor asked, looking at him.

Keeper took a second to sigh before answering, "Ursa hibernation patterns vary depending on the region in question. However I will assume you mean in the general area of Vale to properly answer this. After the second full moon from the fall equinox, Ursa will become more aggressive for two weeks or until the first snowfall, whichever comes first. At which point they will go to their chosen hibernating grounds and stay there until two weeks after the spring thaw unless disturbed or drawn to any large concentration of negativity."

Port's eyebrows moved up in surprise, not prepared for the nuanced answer. "Yes. Correct. So there I was…" He started back into his lecture. Keeper felt a hand take his under the table. He didn't have to look to know it was Ruby's.

* * *

It was lunchtime after they had Professor Port's class, at least on these days, and Keeper was doing his best to avoid being abducted by his fan club by hiding behind everyone else.

"Why do so many girls want me to date them?" Keeper lamented as he looked at his tray, his food already gone to the speed of stress eating. He was contemplating getting more, but that would involve getting up and with so many people searching for him it was a quick way to be found so he decided against it.

"The curse of beauty. Not to mention you match the description of most male heroes in those teen romance novels right now." Yang answered honestly. Keeper fixed her with a confused stare as Blake bristled at the accusation.

"That is so not true." Blake defended her favorite genre. Maybe she didn't enjoy the teen demographic of it but she would stand to defend romance novels everywhere.

"C'mon Blake. Take a step back and look at it. Good-looking guy from an unknown place. He's adorably clueless about most things. He's got a mysterious past. He has that smile and a hint of broodiness, simultaneously I might add. And he's definitely got that air of power to back it all up." Yang argued, pulling Keeper over so the girl could actually inspect him like a book cover. To his immense preference, Ruby immediately pulled him back to his proper spot next to her before it got out of hand. He gave her an appreciative kiss on the cheek before returning to the discussion at a safe distance.

"But Ruby's my girlfriend. Why would I want anyone else?" Keeper happily stated, pulling her close. Team JNPR gave an appreciative "awwww!" at the adorable moment while Ruby turned as red as her cloak. The rest of Team RWBY seemed apathetic to his display of affection, but nodded their understanding.

"I think that's the problem. No one outside of our little friend group knows." Yang told him, fixing him with a look that he couldn't quite place. But it certainly sent a chill down his spine.

"Are you suggesting he just go around telling everyone? That's asking for trouble." Ren asked looking at Yang with confusion. Jaune and Keeper looked at him to make sure it was actually Ren talking.

"No, I'm saying we need to come up with some big obvious way to mark him and her being together."

"Like a parade!" Nora suggested, her enthusiasm at its usual high.

"Do we get a say in this?" Ruby asked as Keeper continued to watch the exchange in contemplative silence. They were fine with their relationship's status as something of a secret at the moment. It was the ravenous fan club that was the problem for them.

"Nope." Yang said, reaching over Keeper to ruffle Ruby's hair, "Don't worry. We'll come up with something before they manage to drag Keeper away." Keeper stiffened at the accusation as Ruby's look immediately turned furious.

"They will never succeed!" She declared, pulling Keeper's head to her chest, "He's mine and no one else can have him!" Keeper seemed too shocked to comment for himself. He could practically feel the blood flow in his body changing directions at the sensation of his current position.

"Exactly. Which is why we're going to be trying to prevent the inevitable war for him. C'mon team, we need to start strategizing." Yang said as she grabbed her three teammates and ran from the cafeteria. Keeper snapped out of it when his head hit the table due to its lack of support, mumbling softly to himself. Jaune diplomatically poked Keeper, wanting to make sure he was still conscious. When he didn't respond, Nora walloped him, shaking the table. Keeper bolted upright, his eyes wide in fear.

"When did I become a commodity to fight a war over?" He asked, looking at his remaining friends. They could see the onset of a panic attack crossing his face. "Ren!" He grabbed the boy by his lapels, "How do you constantly fend off Nora's advances? Tell me!" Ren instantly paled as Nora grabbed her tray and smacked Keeper in the face with it in a typical Nora response.

He tumbled out of his seat, but got right back up. This time he seemed much more composed than he had been.

"You okay now?" Jaune asked, doing his best to ignore Nora and Ren's death stares aimed at Keeper.

"Better. But now we have to get to the arena for Combat Training and I have to avoid all those girls." Keeper said before sprinting away in a fragrant breeze.

"He really needs to learn some social graces." Pyrrha mentioned as they calmly started to leave the cafeteria.

* * *

When everyone finally arrived for Combat Training, Everyone tried to sit together. Except for Keeper, who had gotten stuck in a sea of girls clamoring for his attention. Even though he was clearly less than enthused about his position, most of the guys in the class were frowning in jealousy. They didn't like competition, particularly when it was someone they couldn't do anything about.

Ruby clearly wanted to go rescue Keeper but he managed to catch her eyes. When he saw the fire burning in her eyes, he shook his head no. Ruby slumped in her seat, defeated by Keeper's response.

Professor Goodwitch appeared, already activating the Aura meter screens, "Okay students, since the Vytal festival is in three weeks, we will begin practicing tournament style combat in preparations for qualifying matches in two weeks. First up today is: Mister Keeper…" The fan club raised a cheer. "…Versus Mister Arc." Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha looked at their leader, whose eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates.

"Pardon me, but that hardly fair." Keeper said as he stood up, "On my first day here I successfully crushed an entire combat team without breaking a sweat. I hardly think it's even sporting to throw one person, no matter their skill level against me." He looked at Jaune, trying to reassure him it wasn't a bash against him. Keeper just didn't want to hurt a friend's ego.

"Very well, if that's how you feel…" Glynda looked from the team leader to their champion, "Miss Nikos, would you mind?"

"Not at all." Pyrrha said, standing as Jaune sat down. There were a few boos, but they were mostly covered by the excited whispers of the impending match.

Keeper visibly relaxed, and walked towards the lockers. When he noticed his shoe was "untied" he stopped to tie it. Right behind Team RWBY.

"You have to come up with something soon. One of them managed to steal my underwear off of me. I don't even know how that's possible." He hissed, not looking up from his shoe. Whether he could handle any more time amidst the crazed girls, he couldn't say. But clearly his clothes were at the end of their ropes.

"Boxers or briefs?" Keeper didn't dignify the question with a response. "Already got a plan." Yang answered, motioning to her scroll. Keeper nodded before leaving, hurrying to the locker room to grab his combat gear and swords.

"Do you really have a plan?" Weiss asked, remembering the fruitless brainstorming session before class.

"Nope." Yang admitted, but she activated her scroll nonetheless, "But I know someone who might…."

* * *

Keeper looked at his combat gear one last time. Calf-high black boots with hidden flash-bangs in the soles. Pair of loose black shorts that just reached his knees, for mobility. Tight, comfortable gray shirt to prevent any clothing snags. His personal symbol, the winged eight-petal Dragon Oath bloom, on the back of his shirt. Pendant from Ruby still around his neck, thankfully. The extra pair of underwear he had had stashed with his stuff came to the rescue too.

He pulled out his sword belt, cinching it so Rosethorn sat on his right hip and Moonlace on his left. Status: Ready to fight Pyrrha.

* * *

Pyrrha and Keeper sized each other up as they waited for Professor Goodwitch to give the go-ahead.

"Begin!" The two combatants dropped into their stances, not wanting to be the one to commit to the first blow.

After a few seconds of staring each other down, they moved. Pyrrha opened fire with Miló as Keeper sprinted forward in a flurry of petals. He vanished and reappeared, dodging every shot as he closed the gap. When he was a few steps from Pyrrha, he stomped hard. His momentum was directed upward as the flash-bang in his boot triggered.

The explosion and flash were small to the crowd but for Pyrrha it was devastating. Her hearing was dulled and she couldn't see through the spots dancing in her eyes. Her opponent however, was unfazed by the trick.

Keeper used it to slip under Pyrrha's guard, landing a pommel strike to her ribs and a quick slash. Her Aura drained to 85%, but she recovered by pushing Keeper back with her shield. He slid back under the force of the push, which gave Pyrrha enough time to finish recovering from the flash-bang. She let Miló switch to its javelin form.

"Impressive." Pyrrha commented as she charged at Keeper. He twisted his swords together to form his swordstaff, blocking her slashes as he lost ground. After several bouts were exchanged, Keeper managed to flip her weapon away, only for her leg to sweep his out from underneath him. But before he hit the ground, he vanished again, leaving petals as the only indication he'd been there. Pyrrha grabbed her weapon out of the air, turning to raise her shield just in time to block Keeper's strike from behind. She countered, landing several hits as they battered each other.

Their auras dropped to the orange, marking the match as coming close to ending. Keeper planted one the staff's blades into the ground, using it to enable a two-legged kick. Pyrrha caught it with her shield, pushing Keeper back with enough force to uproot the staff. He landed and let the staff collapse and reform into his shotgun. He glanced at the Aura meters, and looked at his opponent.

The world turned to flower petals as a vortex of the things enclosed Pyrrha. They thickened, slowly blocking out any sign of Keeper or his movements. Pyrrha circled, wary for any sign of the speed fighter. A bright light suddenly appeared at the top of the vortex, instinctively drawing Pyrrha's eye to the new source of light. She felt the kick from Keeper and twisted her shield under herself in time to deflect the shotgun blast from him. She landed as Keeper righted himself, his two swords readied. Their weapons met again, this time no one emerging the clear victor as they managed to block and parry each other's moves.

"So when's Jaune going to realize how much you want him?" Keeper asked casually as his breathing grew heavier from the exertion of the fight. Pyrrha's momentary pause to process the question gave Keeper the edge he needed. His sword, already positioned on her shield, fell apart as the handle-pistol wrapped around the gap in it to allow him two shots to her chest before the force of her block pushed it away and back to its blade. They both whirled, Keeper's swords separating to make her blocking chances lower. They caught on each other again, staring into the faces of their opponent's.

"How's Ruby taking the whole school wanting to steal you from her?" Pyrrha asked. Keeper seemed ready to answer, and it showed. _Two can play this game_, she thought as Keeper's stance opened too wide to effectively block her lunge.

But Keeper didn't try to block. He sidestepped, letting his forearms drift behind and catch her by the elbow. Pyrrha realized too late that she had fallen for the trap. Keeper jerked hard, pulling Pyrrha off her feet and slamming her onto her back with a recovery roll.

"And that's the match! The winner is Mister Keeper." Glynda announced. Everyone looked at the board, amazed by the results. Keeper had been a single hit from losing. The two fighters shook hands before going to the locker rooms. "Next match is…"

* * *

When class was over, the two teams of friends watched as Keeper set off at a sprint, trying to flee his pursuing fan club, which had only grown after his match. It was clear he was too tired to use his semblance as he did his best to dodge their clawing hands. Ruby could only sigh and shake her head at the mob chasing her boyfriend.

"So Pyrrha, what did you and Keeper say to each other?" Jaune asked, wondering what could have distracted Pyrrha at the end of the match.

"He asked a question that distracted me momentarily, and my answer surprised him; but as you saw, he managed to use that against me." Pyrrha answered, avoiding Jaune's eyes. Jaune knew better than to press at the moment. He could be dense, but he wasn't that dense.

"Hey, Nora. I need your help with something." Yang told the hyper member of Team JNPR. The two teams looked at each other, shared fears mingling. This was the tag-team from prankster hell.

"Sure!" Nora told the blonde, ready for anything.

"You guys should go study in the library. Like for a while." Yang told them, earning confused looks from their friends.

"Okay… Let's go then…" Blake said as she tried to figure out what Yang was planning. Yang looked at her collaborator, and started to whisper the plan into her ear.

* * *

"Yang! Somebody! Open up!" Keeper said as he pounded on Team RWBY's door. He was lucky he had taken the other flash-bang from his boot and used it when the mob caught him. Unfortunately, the price of his freedom had been his shoes, socks, tie, and his shirt. Not to mention all the pictures of him half-naked that were surely on dozens of scrolls now. Stuck standing in the hallway with only his pants left, Keeper was feeling too exposed.

When the door opened, he ducked in and slammed it closed with as much force as he could. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting his back guide him gently to the floor with the door to hold him up.

"Thanks. Is it okay if I just take a nap here? Just a quick one so I have enough energy to get to my room using my semblance. I'll even sleep on the floor. Please?" He asked without opening his eyes.

"Oh, you're already mostly undressed," Yang said to Keeper, "That will make this much easier."

"Yang, I'm going to keep my eyes closed because I don't want to know why this predicament seems to excite you, much less want to see why."

"Well it still makes it easier for us!" Nora's bubbly voice made Keeper open his eyes. The only people he saw in the room were Yang and Nora, still in their uniforms and holding their hands behind their backs. A bad sign based on everyone's stories.

Keeper sighed as he realized what was coming, "You came up with a plan to mark me as Ruby's, didn't you?"

"Yep." Yang grinned, her cheer matched by Nora's mischievous expression.

"One that involved Kira, I suspect."

"Yep."

"One I'm not going to like."

"Right on the nose."

"I'm guessing the door isn't going to open any time soon and your reinforced window is locked."

"Smart boy."

"And since I'm still too tired from Pyrrha's win and the ensuing chase, I can't beat both of you or use my semblance to escape."

"Wait, I thought you won?" Nora asked, slightly confused. Seeing a chance to delay his fate, he took the opening.

"I only won by using tactics she couldn't outmaneuver. Up until that point she was winning. So yeah the board might say otherwise but she beat me. And that doesn't leave this room."

"Well, does that mean you're not going to put up a fight?" Yang asked, looking Keeper in the eyes. She saw the steel in his eyes and already knew his answer.

"Just because I might not get away doesn't mean I going to make it easy."

"Good!" Nora exclaimed, "It wouldn't be fun unless there was a challenge!"

They pounced on Keeper as he tried to struggle. But it was futile.

* * *

The others were coming back from their impromptu study group when they heard the thudding of furniture from the Team RWBY dorm. Knowing it could only be whatever Yang and Nora were up to, they were slightly hesitant to enter or interfere in the chaos.

"Hurry, they should be back any minute." Yang ordered someone. The sounds of hasty cleaning reached their ears as they stared at the door.

"Did we clean everything up?" Nora asked Yang, clearly worried about something.

"We'll find out after they get back. Right now we need to…" Ren decided to cut off their discussion by knocking on the door. They all heard the surprised squeaks of the two. After a moment, Yang opened the door, wearing her most innocent smile. Meaning she was guilty of something.

"Before you guys come in, I should warn you…" She started only to have the door pushed open by the six friends. They weren't prepared for the sight that greeted them.

Keeper sat on the windowsill looking absolutely sour, a towel wrapped around his hair and his only clothing his school uniform pants. But what was more shocking was the amount of ink spread across his exposed skin. "Property of Ruby Rose" was scrawled several times across his arms and torso. Her symbol had been painstakingly made on both of his cheeks in silver ink. His eyes only got wider as he realized everyone was staring at him. He threw his arms around himself, trying to block their view of his body.

"What did you do to him?" Ruby yelled, running over to hug her poor boyfriend. He didn't say anything as he gratefully accepted it.

"Nothing permanent!" Nora answered, holding up several markers. Ren immediately took them away from her, and shot Yang a dirty look. She ignored it as she stepped closer to the couple.

"Ruby, would you mind if I shaved my head?" Keeper asked he started to lean away from Yang. Ruby didn't know how to answer. At this point Yang was close enough to grab the towel and pull it off of his head.

Everyone except Yang, Nora, and Keeper felt their jaws drop. Keeper's normally black hair had been dyed entirely with sterling silver and red streaks. Not just any red either. The same shade of red as Ruby's hair tips.

"Well, that is quite the…. The, uh…. It's something." Jaune tried to assuage the visibly embarrassed Keeper.

"Yang Xiao Long! What possessed you to do this?!" Weiss yelled at the blonde, who could only shrug her shoulders. Blake let her face fall into her hands, shaking her head in disbelief at her partner.

"Make no mistake, I will get you back for this." Keeper promised Yang, who only smiled at the challenge.

"It's not that bad. I imagine most people will be… pleasantly surprised." Pyrrha offered to try and stop the inevitable backlash.

"I kind of like it. The silver, not the red though. That's my thing." Ruby said, combing her fingers through his freshly dyed hair. Keeper turned from one sister to the other, confused.

"Well then I guess Yang and I did all right." Nora said as cheerfully as she could. She bounded out of the room yelling something about "making the ship name." Ren hastily followed, trying to ensure no serious collateral damage would happen. Jaune and Pyrrha left, following to help avert the impending Nora-based crisis.

"I'm leaving to go find a place that sells hair-dye remover. After I get some clothing." Keeper said, letting go of Ruby so he could stand up.

"But I said I liked it." Ruby pouted at him, making Yang snicker while Weiss and Blake rolled their eyes.

"Never said it was for me," Keeper kissed her before pointing to a small red and silvery shape darting out from under the bed. He took the opportunity to leave the dorm as quickly as possible.

"Zwei! What did they do to you?" Ruby hollered as she scooped up the dog. Yang looked at her shoes as Weiss ran over to check on the poor test subject of the hair dye. Even Blake felt a little sympathetic for Zwei. Maybe not enough to get that close to the dog, but still she felt bad.

"Any explanations, Yang?" Weiss's stare as cold as her words.

"Nora needed practice?" Yang sheepishly tried, only earning three glares.

* * *

True to his word, Keeper kept his hair dyed and anyone that even considered making fun of it was quickly reminded of the boy's victory over Pyrrha. Not to mention all the ink on display thanks to Yang and Nora made it obvious he was making a statement. Though he scrubbed every bit of marker off of himself at the first opportunity once his point was made. The incident made the next two days were much easier on the friend group. Since Keeper had been clearly taken, the fan-club evaporated in a mist of tears. Keeper missed both afternoons though, because he was called in by General Ironwood for whatever purpose the man wanted.

On Friday, Keeper looked absolutely angry about something as he came to walk with Team Ruby to class. He was attempting to strangle his scroll with one hand.

"What's got you looking so angry?" Blake asked. As soon as Ruby had started to hold his hand, Keeper's face had lightened to a downturned smile.

"General Ironwood. He's made it his mission to steal any fun I could have by making me spend the weekend helping some arriving technicians get used to working with your people. Which means I'm going to be stuck in town all weekend working for him." Keeper shook his head as he explained.

"That bites." Yang said, sympathizing from a slight distance. She knew Keeper would get her back at some point for the hair dye. Probably with his own hair-based revenge scheme.

"It could be worse," Weiss pointed out, "He could be sitting in a prison cell."

"Or a research facility. Don't forget that possibility." Keeper reminded them.

"Speaking of that. How did you get your Energy to read like aura?" Ruby wondered, "I thought they were different things."

"They are… or were. But Soulless were never meant to have a heartbeat either. A lot of things have gotten really confusing." Keeper mentioned, "I seem to have lost most of my abilities with the Energy too. I still have my healing mist, but for all intents and purposes, it has become my aura."

"Welcome back from your pedestal of overpoweredness." Yang said, smirking as Keeper rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, we don't want to be late to this morning's lecture do we?" Weiss reminded them, picking up the pace.

"And miss out on Ruby's snuggles when she falls asleep against me? Not a chance." Keeper smiled as everyone laughed at Ruby's slightly flustered response.

"It's not my fault he's a good pillow!" She exclaimed. Keeper quickly kissed her, then ran into the lecture hall ahead of her. Her team couldn't help but laugh as they all followed him in.

* * *

As per their now-standard arrangement, Keeper slipped away after kissing Ruby goodbye in the cafeteria. She ignored the jealous looks she got from some girls and quickly grabbed her lunch before finding her seat with her friends.

"So who do you think is going to make it through the prelims next week?" Jaune asked everyone. No one was quite sure how to answer the vague question.

"For the Vytal Festival Tournament." Blake clarified. A quick noise of understanding rumbled through the friend group.

"I wouldn't be surprised if all of us made it." Pyrrha said.

"Be realistic, at best half of us would. Pyrrha is a sure one, but the rest of us not so much." Weiss admonished her, trying not to crush too many hopes.

"What about our missing companion? Is he not going to compete?" Ren pointed to Keeper's usual (read: empty) seat.

"Yeah, Ruby. Is your boyfriend going to try and beat everyone without trying?" Yang asked her sister, a teasing smile to match her question.

"I don't know. He doesn't tell me everything." Ruby pushed her hair out of her eyes as she smiled at the thought of him.

"Too busy kissing you to talk about things?"

"Yang!"

* * *

Keeper shook his head as he walked out of the Dust store and folded the most recent edition of Magazine into his pocket. At least he had something to read when he got back to the loft he was renting for the foreseeable future. _Ironwood is a worse taskmaster than the council. And there were ten of them._ Keeper thought as he looked around, bored after the dull task of writing a software translation program for the technicians' scrolls so they could have a compatible access to the systems in question. He hated coding and programming.

Letting his eyes wander, he noticed an unusually short girl run down an alley, her bright pink and brown color scheme standing out against her white jacket as several people in dark hoodies and masks gave chase.

"I guess Sun was right." Keeper said as he ran for the alley's entrance, his swords already in his hands.

* * *

Neo mentally cursed herself for not looking if the alley dead-ended before running down it. The past months had left her too exhausted to outrun even this group of lowly thugs. And since she had lost her parasol on that first day, she couldn't fight back as effectively.

Ever since Roman had been captured, she hadn't had any time to do more than flee as Cinder sent the White Fang after her. Now she was injured, exhausted, and stuck in a dead-end alley with a pack of White Fang members already at the entrance to the alley. She didn't even have enough energy to use her semblance to escape again. Extra emphasis should have been added on the alley being her _dead-end_.

"You're not getting away little miss sundae." The leader of the gang members told Neo. She wished she could answer him with something more than a menacing glare. As menacing as the unarmed and colorful short girl could look to a bunch of killer terrorists.

"Pardon me!" A voice said from behind the Faunus called out. Everyone turned and looked at the newcomer. A boy was there, wearing a gray T-shirt and black shorts and boots. He stood there casually, his red and silver hair matching the two swords in his hands.

"Get out of here right now, and we'll forget we saw you." The leader threatened the boy who only stared at him with silver-flecked gray eyes.

"But why would I do that? Because from what I see, you guys are chasing this girl with what looks like lethal intent. And as an honorable warrior, I can't let that happen." The boy replied, his expression becoming more aggressive as he spoke.

"You think you can beat all of us?" The leader snapped his fingers and every one of the thugs pulled out a weapon. The boy only smiled and vanished from the alley's mouth. They all jumped as he appeared not far from Neo. He winked at her before reappearing back at the mouth of the alley.

"Was that supposed to intimidate us?" The leader barked at the boy.

"No," the boy pointed at the ground with his red sword as it burst into flames, "Just laying down a track to follow." White flower petals coated the ground around all of them.

"What the…" The leader was interrupted by a fireball consuming the area he and his gang had been standing as the boy reappeared in front of Neo. He sheathed his swords as the fireball faded, leaving the gang members on the ground.

Neo looked at the only person left standing. He smiled at her and extended his hand.

"Don't worry, they're singed not dead. My name is Keeper and you look like you could use a hand." Neo just looked at him, not sure what to make of the strange boy. The wail of sirens reached their ears and they both turned to face the alley's entrance.

"Let's get out of here." He scooped her up with relative ease and suddenly they were moving faster than Neo ever thought possible.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ She thought as the city blurred by her.

* * *

Keeper looked at his new companion as they sat outside a small café on the far side of town. She hadn't said anything as he offered her a cup of coffee, instead choosing to stare at him in what he guessed to be fearful silence.

It was when she reached for the cup that he saw the burn on her arm previously hidden by her sleeve.

"Hold on. You're injured." Keeper took her hand. He saw a flash of fear run through her eyes and her free hand instinctively reached for something that wasn't there. "Don't worry. I'm an aura healer. You know? I can use it to take care your injuries." She calmed and nodded her understanding.

Keeper let his energy do as it willed, flowing across his hands to run over her with a naturally soothing touch. To keep both of their minds off of what was happening, Keeper looked at her eyes and realized they kept shifting colors between pink, white, and brown.

"That's an interesting trick. Is it part of your semblance?" He asked. She shook her head no, and looked at him again with both eyes now colored pink. Keeper let go of her hand, having finished healing her to the extent of his power. But something still wasn't right. And then it clicked in his head.

"You're mute, aren't you?" He watched as her eyes widened in surprise. "Is it physical..." he tapped his throat, "or mental?" he tapped his head. She gave him a questioning look before she tapped her throat and shook her head. It was like she was saying, _don't try_.

"I'm going to try anyways. No guarantees, but it's better than not trying." Keeper reached out and touched her throat as gently as he could, and let the energy flow. But this time he directed it, picturing it doing what he willed it to. Eventually he pulled back, and felt confident enough to smile.

"I'm pretty certain I healed it. You want to test it?" She shook her head at his suggestion. Keeper knew she was being timid, likely from multiple failed attempts by other people.

Keeper got an idea, and he would never tell anyone where he actually got it from. "Well then, I guess I can tell terrible jokes until you decide to tell me to shut up."

"So my girlfriend and I flew in last week and my arms are still tired..." She rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. "From carrying all of our bags. You didn't let me finish saying it before judging it. Boy, there's a lot of Dust in the air today. I might just Schneeze from all of it." She facepalmed at the terrible pun, not believing that he was actually doing this. "Did you hear the one about…?"

"Will you shut up already?" She yelled at him, her patience broken after being worn thin long ago. She slapped her hands over her mouth as Keeper sat in stunned silence for a moment. But then he smiled and laughed as she looked at her hands, not sure what to do with them.

"THANKYOU! THANKYOU! THANKYOU!" She proclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck and started to cry into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and let her cry until she released him.

"I've been meaning to ask… What's your name?" He asked, looking at her.

"Neo." She averted her eyes from his. He knew she was lying but he wasn't going to press. Not yet.

"Listen, those guys that were chasing you… there might be more of them. Why don't you come back to my place? You'll be safe there."

"Sure. Will your girlfriend mind that you brought back another girl?" Neo said, moving her hands to his shoulders as flirtatiously as she could. She was probably hoping to drive him off, but she wasn't dealing with someone ordinary.

"Very funny." Keeper deadpanned. "But I can tell you are not that type of girl and I am definitely not that kind of guy. You need help and I'm offering it. Please don't treat my kindness as a joke."

* * *

Neo found herself in the boy's… _Keeper's_ loft apartment, amazed he could afford such a place. I mean he was younger than her and she couldn't afford a place this nice if she wanted to. The skylight let the remaining daylight spill across its open floor plan and wide furniture. She could see the large lounge and full kitchen off to the side and what she guessed to be bedrooms and bathrooms down a hallway on the far side.

Keeper tossed her something, and she caught it. Once she felt it in her hand, she looked at him with confusion. "You're giving me a key?"

"How else are you supposed to be able to come and go as you please? The kitchen is fully stocked, the laundry room is the room at the far end of the hallway, and you have your choice of three bedrooms." Keeper explained as he went into the kitchen and pulled out a notepad and pen.

"But..." Neo started to ask, only to be cut off by Keeper tossing her the pen and notepad. She barely managed to catch them as she tried to watch the objects and Keeper as they moved.

"If you would be so kind as to write down your sizes, I can pick you up some clothing when I head out to do more shopping tonight. Though you might want to change out of what you're currently wearing and have a shower or bath depending on your preference. Bathroom is the second door on the right…" Keeper continued as he ducked into the first door on the left. Neo bizarrely followed his request as she tried to absorb everything he said.

He emerged holding a pair of sweatpants and a baggy shirt and quickly tossed them to her. Forced to grab hold of even more things, she couldn't stop the whirlwind of activity that was her rescuer.

"Listen I'm headed out now, do you have those sizes written down? Is there anything you want me to specifically pick up?" Keeper said as he stopped next to the door, looking at her expectantly.

"Why?" She felt herself ask. She looked at him, trying to understand him. She could feel tears building up, waiting to be released.

"Why what?" Keeper asked, gray eyes sparkling silver with his feverish energy. His kind smile hadn't faltered the entire time she had been around him. And it bothered her in a way she couldn't describe.

"Why help me? You didn't know me this morning, but you saved from those guys and healed me. I've barely told you more than my name and you… you've opened your home to me, offered to buy whatever I need, and… protect me from the people that attacked me. Why?" She demanded of him, surprised when she felt tears come to her eyes for the second time today. Keeper's energy seemed to mellow as he gave her a softer smile.

"After I got you away from those people, I got a better look at you. And I saw the loneliness, the sense of loss, and the pain of betrayal. I've been through that more than most people can imagine. So when I see it, I do my best to correct it. So if you want to know why, just know it's because I've been in a situation a lot like yours and someone else did the same thing I'm doing here. It's called being a better person than you were yesterday." Keeper reached out and hugged her. He quickly broke the contact and took the notepad from her frozen hand with a light smile.

Neo could only watch as he left the loft. She looked at the clothing in her hands and down at herself.

"Maybe I could use a shower." She said to herself as she noticed how dirty her clothes, and by extension herself, had gotten.

* * *

Neo woke up the next morning to the sizzling of bacon from the kitchen. Pushing back the sheets on the bed she had chosen, she swung out of it and left her room. She stretched and let herself relax as she realized it was Keeper making breakfast. She couldn't help but notice a familiar parasol leaning near the door. She resisted the urge to grab and twirl it to make sure it was hers.

"Hope you're hungry." He said as he set a plate with several strips of bacon next to a stack of pancakes. Neo heard her stomach rumble, and realized that she had forgotten to eat dinner after Keeper had left. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard him come in.

Taking her first bite, she was amazed by the deceptively simple breakfast. "Delicious." She told him, watching as he continued to cook.

"Thanks." He said as he turned off the stove and picked up his own plate and sat across from her. They ate in silence for a little while, enjoying the food.

When they were both finished, Neo looked at Keeper, who was smiling again. It filled her with conflicting emotions. She felt relaxed and accepted, but she felt afraid and vulnerable at the same time. Eventually one side won out. "Keeper, if I'm going to stay here, you need to know who I am. Who I really am. My full name is Neopolitan Torchwick. And Roman Torchwick, the most wanted criminal in Vale, is my adopted father…" Keeper let himself recline as Neo began her story.

* * *

**Note: So in response to the expected, "how did he beat Pyrrha if she can manipulate his metal weapons?" I would like to point out that Keeper's swords are ceramic. Magnetic forces don't work on pottery.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Fair warning, this is the chapter that earns the M. Sex, alcohol, and other things in the future. Consider yourselves warned that things will be moving in a different direction.**

* * *

**Change in Management**

Ruby reached around for her scroll, its alarm blaring at her. She groaned and hit the snooze. When the noise continued, Ruby actually looked at her scroll to turn it off. This was going to be the one day they got to sleep in, and by now the others were starting to wake up.

"Ruby, I thought you turned off your alarm." Weiss growled at her partner. No matter how much of a morning person Weiss was, she still enjoyed sleeping more.

"Sorry Weiss. But it wasn't my alarm. It was a message alert." Ruby replied, leaning over her bed to dangle and look at her. Weiss only humphed as a response.

"Well what was so important that it couldn't wait another hour on a Saturday?" Blake asked, looking at the girl as she jumped down.

"I didn't look yet." Ruby fully opened her scroll and accessed the message:

"_Ruby, bring everyone to my loft. This is serious business. White Fang serious." _The message from Keeper told her along with an address none of them recognized.

The girls looked at each other, shocked that Keeper knew what the White Fang was. No one had mentioned it to him and it wasn't a topic he would have overheard. Once the three who were awake managed to stir Yang, all she wanted to do was hit the boy that had interrupted her Saturday sleepathon.

"Why can't we get a weekend without anything crazy happening?" Yang grudgingly questioned as she read the message for herself.

* * *

The four girls looked at the upscale building that Keeper's loft apartment was in. They went up to the apartment and knocked on the door, and were greeted by Keeper.

"I'm going to ask that you wait to do or say anything until I'm done explaining. Okay?" Keeper insisted before letting them in.

They were surprised by the tri-colored girl sitting on Keeper's couch, a wary smile on her face as she waved hello. Yang, on the other hand, nearly exploded with fury. Luckily Ruby and Blake grabbed her before she could make a move on the girl.

"What is she doing here?" Yang demanded from Keeper, who only seemed slightly surprised by the outburst.

"You called it." He turned to the girl, who only shrugged in response. "Team RWBY, this is Neo. I believe Yang and her have already met."

"As in the girl that beat Yang up on the train in Mountain Glenn?" Weiss asked as she studied the short girl in front of them. She didn't see any sign of the deadly parasol that Yang mentioned. Come to think of it the girl seemed absolutely harmless, even if they had seen her on the train.

"Yes." Yang hated to admit it. Ruby even did her best to look angrily at Neo, but it failed.

"She's here because she needs our help." Keeper stated, stepping between Yang and Neo.

"Help? Her?" Yang growled, her eyes turning red at the thought.

"Yang, please. I'm sorry about what happened between us, but I need your help. If you don't believe me, at least believe Keeper." Neo pleaded with the team of Huntresses. They all paused and tilted their heads in confusion.

"I thought you said she was mute." Blake commented, looking back and forth between the rivals.

"I thought she was." Yang replied.

"I really was, up until yesterday." Neo said, crossing her arms and looking down at the floor.

"I found her being chased by some White Fang thugs. I knocked them out and brought her somewhere safe. Then I used my healing ability on her." Keeper explained.

"Still doesn't explain why we shouldn't knock **her** out and take her to Ironwood." Yang muttered.

"First off, she's not with them anymore. She hasn't been for months. Second, she wants to turn herself in, _**after **_she passes on some intel to the only people that have managed to interfere with their plans." Keeper told them, looking Yang square in the eyes. She took the hint and mumbled an apology to Neo. He quickly sat down on the couch, glad he didn't have to stand between them so they wouldn't fight.

"Okay, so what's this intel?" Ruby asked, accepting Keeper's judgement. She felt that if Keeper trusted her, then she should too.

"No wonder Keeper is totally head over heels for you. You're absolutely precious." Neo told her with a smile. Ruby and Keeper immediately blushed and avoided each other's eyes as they realized she had sat down next to him and they were now holding hands. Looking at the others, she turned more serious. "There are three infiltrators in your school. Their names are Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury. And the White Fang have a series of connected warehouses where they still have some of the stolen Dust and weapons. Addresses and expected forces on the paper." She handed Yang a folded piece of paper. The blonde looked at the addresses and nodded. They all got up to leave, but Yang turned to look at the much shorter girl.

"Turning a new leaf or not, I still want a rematch." She told Neo, who only smiled sweetly.

"Only if you're ready to lose again." She said as she skipped out the door ahead of them. Everyone took a second to look at Keeper as Yang put him in a headlock.

"You have about twenty seconds to fully explain before I knock you out of the nearest window." Yang warned Keeper as they followed. He managed to slip out of the hold and turned to face the blonde.

Keeper raised his hands in self-defense, starting his story, "So I just walked out of the Dust shop yesterday, and noticed a short girl in pink, white, and brown running away from something….."

* * *

Ozpin and Ironwood looked at the six teens in front of them, not quite sure what to make of the story they had been presented.

"Well, Miss Neopolitan, you do realize you are confessing to several crimes here?" Ozpin leaned forward to observe Neo's response. The girl bowed her head, and nodded.

"However, she came willing and even provided information and testimony. Surely that counts for something." Keeper insisted, drawing the general's attention.

"We will be confirming its authenticity. Until then, she will be locked up and wait for sentencing." Ironwood told him.

"Woah, that's how you treat people who come to you for help? No wonder you're so behind. No trust in each other." Keeper huffed, crossing his arms as Ironwood fixed him with an angry stare.

"Professor Ozpin, what Keeper is saying is true. Do we really need to arrest her if she's trying to help?" Ruby tried, making Ozpin sigh. Ironwood said nothing, too focused on the contest of wills with Keeper.

"I'm sorry. Unless you can come up with some alternative way to keep watch over her, I'm afraid my hands are tied." He explained as Keeper broke off his staring contest with the general.

"House arrest." Keeper stated, making everyone focus on him, "We put a tracker on her and then she stays at my loft until we sort this whole thing out." Five jaws dropped at the proposition as Ironwood's face turned stormy and Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"That is a possibility. Do you think you could handle keeping her under constant surveillance?" Ozpin asked, cutting off the general before he could say something. Keeper could practically see the gears turning inside the headmaster's mind.

"Yes. Plus it would be more efficient for General Ironwood's spies if they could watch two subjects simultaneously instead of separately." Keeper's eyes flicked to the general, making him clench his fists in surprise. Ironwood scowled but nodded. He couldn't argue with the logic. He reached into a pocket and threw a bracelet to Neo, intent clear. She put it on, the bracelet beeping to confirm its attachment to Neo's wrist.

"Since it seems we are in agreement, you six may leave while I discuss this new information with the general." Ozpin dismissed them. They all piled into the elevator, and quickly left.

* * *

Back in their dorm, the girls looked at their former enemy as she simply sat there looking at them.

Finally Yang couldn't take the silence any more. "What are you waiting for?"

"What do you mean?" Neo asked, sincere confusion in her eyes. The others were still skeptical but with Keeper watching all of them, it was hard to voice their suspicions.

"Aren't you going to do something besides sit there and look at us?"

"Honestly, I expected to be sitting in a jail cell right now. I know you probably still don't trust me, so just say what you want and get it over with." Neo cast her gaze on the floor, not wanting to meet their angry faces. But when the expected berating didn't reach her ears, she looked at the girls.

"Who are you and what did you do with my rival?" Yang asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I-I…" Neo stuttered, unsure of how to answer.

Yang smiled and laughed, while the others suppressed giggles. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Keeper really is a miracle worker." Keeper accepted the compliment with a slight nod, content to watch.

"It's called forgiving and forgetting. Only way to deal with things when you risk holding grudges for a literal eternity." He commented.

"He welcomed me without worrying who I was. He treated me like a long-lost friend and didn't question anything more than he had to. Ruby, don't let him go. Boys like him are too rare to pass up." Neo told her, smiling. Ruby looked at Keeper, who only gave a shrug as a response.

"Sounds like someone else has a crush on Keeper." Yang remarked, drawing stares. "What?"

"First off, you're the one who literally marked him as your sister's property three days ago." Weiss reminded her.

"Second, if he didn't want the fan club, why would he want another girl after him?" Blake pointed out.

A quick dash and Keeper was holding Ruby by her waist, "Third, I only have eyes for Ruby, and you know it."

"And lastly, I don't go that way." Neo piped up. It took a second for what she said to sink in.

"What?" Everyone in the room turned to look at her, making her slightly uncomfortable.

"So you like women?" Weiss inquired, trying to confirm what they had heard. Neo nodded, suddenly embarrassed.

"It explains why she always wanted to fight Yang then." Blake noted, making Yang the recipient of a dirty comment. Yang's jaw fell open when Neo gave her a flirty wink. She decided it was the best way to play off her own feelings on the situation.

"I think it's time to go." Keeper said, kissing Ruby's cheek before walking to the door. Neo followed, knowing it was better to leave on a high note. "Unless you guys want to come along? I mean, we all have that paper due for Oobleck's class on Monday and I barely know history. Well, Vale's history."

"Uh, sure. Though Yang's going to take some time to recover from Neo's…defection." Blake offered diplomatically. Ruby immediately grabbed her backpack and Keeper's hand. He barely had time to smile at them before the two of them vanished into flower petals.

"Let's try and get there in time to stop the door from slamming shut." Weiss said as they grabbed their things.

"If worst comes to worst, I have a key." Neo held up the key that Keeper had given her yesterday.

"He is way too trusting." Yang muttered, but followed behind her friends and her rival. Not for a specific reason, she just wanted to. _Keep telling yourself that_, she thought.

* * *

When they arrived at the loft, they found Ruby and Keeper seated on the couch, and several packages of candy empty on the floor. Strangely Keeper's swords were sitting on the kitchen counter instead of near him, a clear sign of relaxation.

"Sugar addicts. The both of you." Weiss muttered as the couple noticed their entrance.

"What took you guys so long?" Keeper asked with the biggest grin they had seen. Ruby could only giggle and pull Keeper closer. Something was too sweet about the moment to let them stay angry.

"We're not all speedsters." Blake deadpanned as they noticed the textbooks and papers already scattered on the coffee table near the couch.

"I guess we should get back to work." Keeper replied, making Ruby pout. He kissed her, making her forget what she was pouting about.

After several hours of hard work and several drafts by the students, a knock on the door made them look up. Keeper opened the door slightly, hiding whoever knocked from everyone inside and vice versa.

"Can I help you?" He said, calm and relaxed. But they could see his hands tense on the door. Everyone reached for their weapons, reading the hostility in Keeper's actions.

"We know she's here." A familiar voice reached Neo's ears, making her start to tremble. _Anyone but him_, she thought.

"You must be confused, the only person here is…." Keeper was interrupted as he stumbled back, blood running down his face from his lip while the door was forced open. At least twenty White Fang stepped in, looking ready to fight as even more were crowded into the hallway beyond the door. The Huntresses immediately pulled out their weapons as Neo dove behind a couch, unable to fight effectively without her weapon. Keeper recovered, eyeing up the leader of the gang who had been in the alley.

"Wrong move." Keeper said, licking some blood from his lip as his face darkened.

Everyone attacked at the same time. The White Fang surged through the entrance to the loft and attacked as the girls countered. Keeper punched the leader back, cracking his mask as he flew back out the door.

Ruby did her best not to destroy the furniture as she knocked the attackers around, Crescent Rose flashing open and bludgeoning people. Weiss kept her cool as she dueled multiple attackers, using her glyphs only to finish off an opponent. Blake did her best to keep anyone away from the spot where Neo was hiding, using her Semblance to continuously distract her opponents before knocking them away to meet the other two girls fighting nearby. Yang ignited her Aura and charged through the crowd, cutting off their reinforcements at the door. Keeper regained his composure, grabbing his sword's pistol-handles from the kitchen counter to back up Yang at the entrance.

For bit it seemed like they had it under control as every enemy inside the loft was unconscious and Yang and Keeper were dealing with the crowd trying to force their way in. Until the skylight of the room broke, letting in multiple enemies behind their defensive line. Before they could stop them, two had grabbed Neo and were running for a window as they carried the small girl by her arms. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake couldn't pursue them as more White Fang dropped in to engage them. Keeper had glanced back at the sound of breaking glass and was horrified by the scene and unfolding ambush.

"Neo!" Keeper yelled, and saw something he'd forgotten about on the floor and kicked it. The parasol flew through the air and struck one of them in the head, knocking one of the would-be kidnappers down and freeing one of Neo's arms. She caught the parasol, its familiar weight sparking some hope as she swung it into the other one's head. He fell down, dazed as more enemies came into the room from the roof. Neo, Weiss, Blake, and Ruby took them out, moving in sync until the rain of enemies was over. Eventually all the White Fang in the hallway were unconscious or gone, thanks to Yang's fiery fists and Keeper's gunslinging.

They looked at the devastation that had been wrought. Most of the loft was full of bullet holes, scorch marks, shell casings, and unconscious White Fang members. The hallway was in a similar state. They all heard the sound of people running and prepared for another wave of enemies.

But several Atlas security personnel arrived instead. They looked at the teens, not believing the level of destruction. Everyone lowered their weapons, realizing they were friendly.

"You did all of this?" One of them asked, motioning to the unconscious gang members.

"We're students at Beacon. How could you be surprised?" Keeper responded, a half-smile on his face.

"Fair enough. We'll call in a clean-up crew. You all, on the other hand, are going somewhere safer." The security person ordered them.

* * *

The six found themselves back in Ozpin's office, but this time General Ironwood seemed the least annoyed.

"You nearly destroyed the entire floor of the building during your fight." Ozpin scolded them. "However, you not only prevailed, but aided in the capture of a large force of known criminals. Though I do feel obligated to apologize to Mister Edens for the loss of his alternate living arrangements."

Keeper shrugged, not really bothered by the loss. "That's why I had renter's insurance anyways."

Ironwood cleared his throat, and looked at the teens with surprising care. "We have confirmed your statements, Miss Neopolitan. Unfortunately, the infiltrators evaded capture, but we did manage to successfully raid the warehouses. I apologize for my earlier actions."

"No problem. I understand why you acted as you did." Neo acknowledged the apology. She was rather surprised that someone as big and important as the General would apologize to an ex-criminal. Particularly for doing his job.

"Now then, there is the matter of what to do with you. Not to mention the dangers of your… skill set." Ozpin looked at her, blank expression revealing nothing.

"Why doesn't she join Beacon?" Yang asked, startling everyone, including Neo, with her suggestion.

"Do you trust her that much?" Ozpin replied, sharing a look with Ironwood. They managed to mask whatever emotions they felt pretty well.

"Yes." They all chorused. Neo did her best to hide her smile. She couldn't believe that they were actually accepting her, even with Keeper's promise to help in any way he could.

"Very well. Based off of previous reports, I am led to believe you would meet our entrance requirements. Miss Neopolitan, we would be honored to accept you into Beacon." Ozpin said with a smile.

"On the condition that you be ready to testify if asked." Ironwood interjected.

"Of course." Neo answered the two of them, bouncing for joy.

"Now the only problem will be finding a team for you." Ozpin noted, but looked right at Keeper. "Mister Edens, you currently don't have a partner or team, both of which you will need for next semester. How about it?"

"No objections from me." Keeper turned to the girls, "Any from the ladies?"

"Nope." They chorused.

"Then that is settled. Mister Edens, it looks like you have a partner." Ozpin declared.

* * *

The remainder of the day was spent reorganizing Keeper's dorm to accommodate a second person.

"Are you going to be fine staying in the same room?" Yang asked after they got the beds and desks properly arranged.

"You don't think I'm that terrible do you?" Neo asked, looking at her new friends. She reached into a box and pulled out some of the items that had survived the shootout at the loft.

"I was asking you." Yang replied, "Keeper is a little…. eccentric."

"Again I am insulted by Yang. Oh how it wounds me." Keeper responded, carrying the last box into the room.

"To be honest, you do have a strange collection of hobbies." Weiss pointed out, pulling out the few pieces of their essays that had survived the fight at the loft.

"Now the fun part begins anew." Blake said, pulling out a fresh stack of paper for everyone. Neo watched for a while as everyone redid all the work they had done.

"Hey, if you want to start being a student here, you might want to do some homework." Weiss admonished her, a surprisingly playful smile on the heiress's face. Neo returned the smile and sat down with them, eagerly joining the discussion and writing.

* * *

Sunday arrived without any great excitement. Team JNPR was surprised by the newest member at breakfast, but quickly accepted her into the group after the situation was explained.

Since both Team RWBY and the unofficial duo now being temporarily called Team Keeper had already finished the essay, they decided to spend the day relaxing outside while their friends spent it in the library.

They all walked around the campus grounds, enjoying the sunlight and quiet company. Until a familiar voice called out from a tree, "If it isn't our favorite all ladies team and their multicolored mascots."

"Get down here Sun." Blake ordered the monkey Faunus, "Where's the rest of your team?"

"Right here." A blue-haired boy said as he walked up flanked by two others. The one to his left had crimson hair and the other had green hair.

After everyone was properly introduced to Keeper, Neo, Scarlet, and Sage, Team SSSN decided to join them on the walk, adding some polite conversation to the mix.

"So are you guys going to try and enter the tournament?" Yang asked the all-male team.

"Well right now, I'm the only one ineligible for the tournament." Sage, the green-haired one said, "But it will be worth watching."

"What about your wild man there? Now that he's sporting your team's colors, you might want to put some money down on him." Sun joked as he walked next to Blake, poking fun at Keeper's new hair color and the fact that he was walking with Ruby while they held hands. Blake did her best to not to catch his eyes as she constantly looked around.

"I didn't think you could gamble on the tournament." Yang commented as Keeper simply rolled his eyes.

"Not to mention I don't approve of unnecessary combat with fellow warriors." Keeper reminded them.

"Says the guy that beat Pyrrha Nikos, 'one of the greatest fighters of our generation.'" Neptune stated, walking next to Weiss, who did her best avoid his looks at her. Whenever Weiss caught Blake's eyes, however, their gazes lingered for a moment.

"So that actually happened? I thought Sun made that up," Scarlet told him.

"Well, we can wait until the prelims to find out if it was a fluke." Sun commented, stretching as he threw down the verbal gauntlet.

"You thought it was a fluke?" Keeper asked, looking at the blond Faunus. Keeper knew he shouldn't have won it, but that didn't mean they knew it.

"I mean, it had to be. From what I saw, you just got lucky and landed the last blow." He continued, egging Keeper on. Not one to take a taunt lying down, he felt his pride kick in.

"You sir, have insulted my honor as a warrior." Keeper proclaimed, fully facing him. "And I will prove it wasn't a fluke." An accusatory finger pointed itself at Sun's face.

"How? I thought you just said something about unnecessary combat?"

"My honor has been questioned. That rule is gone."

"Does that mean you're going to try and fight me right now?" Sun drew his fists up, a mocking smile ready. Keeper narrowed his eyes, but didn't take the bait.

"No. I'm going to enter the tournament. Consider yourself lucky if you do not face me." Keeper told him. He turned around, missing Yang and Sun's fist bump.

* * *

The next morning, Team RWBY was awoken by the shrill whistle of their eager leader.

"Good morning Team RWBY!" She yelled, innocently smiling the entire time.

"Ruby! I told you not to…" Weiss angry tirade was broken off by a yelp of pain that could probably have been heard at the Vale docks. Unable to figure out where it had come from, the girls decided to let it go and get back to their morning routine.

When they met up with Keeper and Neo for their morning walk to class, Neo had already acquired a school uniform, which she had accented with her normal boots in an attempt to keep comments about her height to a minimum. The former criminal had also decided to personalize it with a pair of mismatched stockings, the right one pink and the left brown. She was still wearing the tracking bracelet given to her by Ironwood. What was most intriguing was Neo's tired but smug look as Keeper nervously kept his distance from his new partner. When he walked with Ruby, he took the extra precaution of having her between him and his teammate.

"You guys don't look too happy this morning." Neo mentioned lightly as she looked at Weiss, Blake, and Yang. They all looked nearly as tired as the tri-colored girl, but were nowhere near as cheerful.

"Ruby used her whistle to wake us up." Yang told her, petting her own hair in soothing strokes. A nervous habit that she tried to avoid in public.

"You only use a whistle?" Keeper smirked at his girlfriend, seeming to find the idea funny.

"What would you use?" Ruby asked, knowing Keeper had some kind of over the top answer.

"He used bagpipes. Used, as in the past tense." Neo answered for him. The dirty look she shot him didn't escape the others' notice.

"I'm guessing that was his yelp then." Weiss surmised.

"I would assume so." Blake said. It quickly became quiet as they all decided to sleepwalk their way to class.

* * *

For the first time in a while, Keeper managed to avoid getting called away during the afternoon classes for the entire week, possibly owing to the eventful weekend.

The newest member of the friend group quickly adjusted, finding that she shared almost all of her classes with Yang and Keeper, even her general non-hunting classes. Which made it more interesting for her since Yang kept looking at her with an unreadable expression while playing with her hair in each of them.

On Friday, the names of everyone who qualified were posted. Pyrrha, Keeper, and Blake made it into the tournament with ease; Weiss, Ruby, Sun, Neptune, Scarlet, Ren, and even Neo all qualified as well. With the Vytal festival starting next Friday and no classes for the next two weeks, the teams got ready to train to their limits.

* * *

When Saturday rolled around, Ruby woke up to a totally empty dorm. Not even Zwei was sleeping on his little bed.

"Where is everyone?" She asked herself, wondering what would have made them all get up earlier than her. Ruby looked at the team's calendar, and smiled as she remembered what day it was.

She quickly went to her closet, looking for her usual weekend outfit. Instead all she found was her prom dress and the dress Kira had given her for the Gathering Formal. Stuck between the two pieces of formal wear, Ruby went with the one that let her wear her signature cape and flats. It was an important day, so she could understand why she would need to be dressed more formally but that didn't mean she was going to risk her neck for the sake of looking dressy in heels.

Now suitably dressed, she ran from the room, making a beeline to the cafeteria, where she found the doors suspiciously locked. After trying to shove them open and failing, Ruby pounded on the door.

"Yang! I know you're in there with a surprise party for me!" She yelled at the doors. When they opened, she wasn't greeted by confetti and a huge banner over a birthday cake. She was instead greeted by the janitor giving her a look of concern. "Sorry." Ruby said before running away in a flash of rose petals. The janitor just sighed and started to sweep up the petals.

* * *

Ruby ran up to the JNPR dorm and tested their door. Finding it was open, she burst in, ready to be surprised. Instead she was treated to another empty dorm.

"Did they forget about today?" Ruby wondered aloud. She had reminded everyone all week of her birthday, and now that it was here, they weren't.

Slightly annoyed at this point, Ruby decided to check in on the one person who wouldn't dare forget her birthday.

* * *

When she got to Keeper's dorm, she found a note taped to the door. It read:

_Ruby,_

_Sorry, but Neo and I got called in by Ironwood for interviews and informational reports. Will be back tonight with your gift. Sorry again._

_-Keeper_

Ruby crumpled the note, absolutely devastated by the lack of friends around for her birthday. Her head down, Ruby made her way back to her dorm as her feet dragged.

* * *

_In their hiding place…_

All of Ruby's friends waited, prepared to surprise her.

"I still feel bad about this." Keeper told Yang, concern in his eyes, "What if she doesn't like what we have planned?"

"Then you get to spend the rest of the weekend comforting her." Yang reminded him, "No matter the outcome you end up winning this one."

"Good point. Just don't forget your part of the deal."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. One date with Neo. One. Single. Time. I still don't know how you figured out I was bisexual. Not that I'm attracted to Neo. Any more than I am to other girls." Yang denied as the tri-colored girl in question listened to the conversation. Mischief glinted in her mismatched pink and brown eyes.

"The same way I knew Blake was a Faunus the first time I met her. I have eyes."

Blake stiffened at the mention of her name. "You knew this whole time?"

* * *

Ruby opened the door of her dorm, her head still down in sadness. When she stepped into her dorm however, the world seemed to shatter. She found herself somewhere entirely different.

"Surprise!" All her friends yelled as she stepped into the decorated cafeteria. Confetti rained down as a large banner unfurled, reading: "Happy 16th birthday Ruby!" Everyone stood around a huge cake topped with a candle in the shape of her rose symbol. Behind her friends was a table piled high with presents. She nearly burst with excitement at the sight.

But when she looked closer, she realized someone was missing.

"Where's Keeper?" She looked at her friends with as much suspicion as she could muster around her excitement.

"Waiting for the birthday girl of course." Keeper appeared right next to her, making her jump and immediately latch onto the nearest sturdy object. Which happened to be him and his appropriately outstretched arms. Everyone laughed as Yang took a picture of the scene.

Once Ruby got down, Jaune pulled out a guitar and immediately started to play as everyone sang "Happy Birthday". Once the song was over, Ruby hugged Keeper.

"You're the best!" She proclaimed, as everyone playfully scoffed at the focused praise.

"He barely did anything. You should be thanking your big sis." Yang told her as Ruby ran over to give her a hug. "Happy birthday."

"Let's cut the cake already!" Nora yelled as Ren kept a hand on her shoulder to keep her from tearing into the cake.

Ruby was more than happy to oblige, knowing from the smell that it was her favorite: Strawberry cheesecake with buttercream icing. After everyone had a piece, Ruby waited until everyone had eaten before running over to her presents.

She tore through them, thanking everyone as she opened them: Tickets to a sold-out Achieve-men concert from Weiss; Three new books from Blake; a gift card to her favorite coffee shop from Ren; specially-made explosive rounds for Crescent Rose from Nora; a new sniper-rifle maintenance kit from Jaune and Pyrrha; a large assortment of sweets from Neo; and several puppy kisses from Zwei.

"And as always, saving the best for last." Yang told her as she pulled out a heavy-duty metal box the size of a speaker. Opening it for Ruby, she revealed hundreds of pounds of Dust crystals in all kinds of colors. Ruby had always loved making her own Dust rounds, and this would give her the chance to make more.

"Wow!" was all Ruby could say as she wondered what else they could have in store. "What else do you guys have planned?"

"Hold on Ruby," Keeper smiled, "I haven't given you my present yet." Ruby's eyes widened as Yang looked at Keeper.

"I thought we agreed…" She started only to be cut off by Keeper, "You told me I couldn't, so I didn't. I did something else."

Reaching into a pocket, he pulled out a small silver chain necklace with both Ruby's and his symbols made of gold and colored with embedded gems. Ruby moved to let Keeper put the necklace on her.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." She said, kissing him before he could step away.

After they broke off the kiss, Keeper started to explain, "Not as beautiful as you. But more to the point, your charm has a special function."

"What does it do?" Ruby asked, holding the necklace up so she could inspect the charms.

Keeper could only smile as he told her, "Press it and find out."

Curious, Ruby pressed the charm and felt it momentarily give way before returning to its original shape. Everyone turned to an open window as a strange humming started to come from outside. Jaune decided to peek out of an open window, and quickly ducked as something flew right over his head. The object quickly came to a stop in front of Ruby. A five-foot long red-colored board floated at knee-height, humming softly.

"I can't believe you remembered!" She exclaimed as she recognized it as the hoverboard she had wanted to buy back during North day of the Gathering. Yang had squashed that idea. She hugged Keeper as tightly as she could before trying to step onto it.

"I told you no transportation!" Yang yelled at Keeper, who shrugged. He walked over to lean against a table next to Yang before he answered her charge.

"You said no cars or motorcycles until she got her license. Hoverboards don't require licenses." Keeper told her, grinning at his easy subversion of her rules. They watched as Ruby managed to get up onto the board and started zooming around the room, giggling as she flew above everyone's heads.

Sister and boyfriend watched in silence as Ruby circled the room, getting the hang of turning as she started to accelerate. They both smiled, appreciating her happiness.

"You know, this could spiral out of control if we're not careful. Want to call a truce before it escalates?" Yang offered her hand to Keeper. He looked at her, but nodded before shaking her hand.

"Though teasing should be allowed." Keeper amended the agreement, earning a smirk from Yang.

"Wouldn't be an older sister without it."

* * *

After the party was over and everyone had dispersed back to their rooms, Keeper followed Ruby and her team back to their dorm, tasked with carrying all of Ruby's presents back for her.

"This was the best birthday ever!" Ruby declared as she flung open the door. Keeper set the pile of presents off to the side as the other three followed them in. Once he was finished with his task, he stood by Ruby with his arm around her waist.

"Honestly I thought you would be a little angry about the illusion trick." Keeper told her as he smiled at her.

"No, it was a good surprise." Ruby pressed herself closer to Keeper, enjoying the warmth of him at her side, "But I can think of a way to make it better."

Yang, Blake, and Weiss took the hint as Keeper tried to figure out what she meant. "What would that be?"

"This." The girls closed the door behind themselves as Ruby pulled Keeper into a passion-filled kiss.

* * *

Keeper was the first one to wake up in the dorm, being the earliest riser out of everyone. He took a second to wonder why there was a weight on him before remembering where he was and who he was with.

Ruby was still asleep, her head on his chest as they held each other closely. Keeper closed his eyes again, ready to go back to sleeping until he realized something wasn't quite right. It wasn't that he and Ruby were sleeping in the same bed; that happened more than they anyone else knew. Nor was it the fact that they weren't wearing anything; which was admittedly a first for them. Turning to look for the other girls who should be in the room, he realized what was wrong.

Yang and her entire bunk were suspiciously missing. It only took Keeper a second to realize what had happened.

_Well I had a nice run_, he thought as he felt his heart start to race. He heard a cute yawn, and looked at Ruby as she woke up, stirred by his speeding heartbeat. She turned her head to smile at him and shifted far enough to kiss him without leaving his embrace.

"Morning." She whispered, knowing the others would want to sleep in.

"Morning, my love." He said, kissing her again as he reached and stroked her hair. Ruby let herself snuggle into his warmth, burying her face in his neck.

"Any idea what time it is?" She asked, knowing this would be the last chance to sleep in for a while.

"Too early. Go back to sleep." Keeper whispered before kissing her forehead. They started to drift off again, only for a high-pitched shriek to shatter the morning's peace.

"What the hell was that?" Weiss yelled as she bolted upright.

Blake sat up and realized something very important was missing. "Where's Yang? Or her bed for that matter?"

"KEEPER!" Yang's voice hollered from what sounded like halfway across campus.

Ruby looked at her boyfriend, who was pinching the bridge of his nose as he muttered, "Why did it have to go off today?"

The two quickly realized the compromising position they were stuck in now that the others were awake. Reaching under the sheets, they found their underwear and did their best to pull it on without making Ruby's bed sway noticeably. Which they failed to do.

"What are you two doing up there?" Weiss demanded as she hopped out of her bed, smoothing out her pajamas as she stood. She could just barely see their silhouettes on the bedsheets hiding Ruby's bed from direct inspection.

"I didn't exactly pack pajamas." Keeper replied, making sure the sheets covered both him and Ruby in case there was a gap in the canopy. "So if you two would be so kind…." Weiss and Blake obliged, letting Keeper slip unseen into the bathroom with his clothes. He soon emerged, dressed and practically glowing with unusual energy.

"If Yang asks where I am, I'm taking Zwei for a walk!" He told them before scooping up the corgi and his leash and hurrying out of the room.

The two girls looked at each other, knowing it was better to let Keeper deal with Yang on his own than to interfere. Preferably far away from their room and their possessions.

"So you two were cuddled up under your blankets when we got back last night. What did you do while we were gone?" Weiss asked her partner, knowing they must have done something.

"Nothing much. Mostly talked." Ruby pushed her hair behind her ear, avoiding their eyes as she tried to reach her pajamas, which were strewn on the ropes holding up her bed alongside her dress.

When Blake noticed this, she immediately tapped Weiss on the shoulder and pointed to the hanging pajamas. The white-haired girl's eyes widened at the implications.

"Ruby, are you wearing anything underneath those sheets?" Blake asked, worried to hear the answer.

"Yes." She replied, finally grabbing her pajamas and quickly pulling them on and jumping down. The two looked at their leader, who seemed to have the same glow as Keeper had.

"Oh my god." Weiss sputtered, not believing it. "You… and him… Ruby what were you thinking?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby said as innocently as she could, avoiding their eyes again as an involuntary smile grew on her face.

"How could you just sleep with him?" Weiss said, shaking Ruby by the shoulders.

"Uh, well…" Ruby didn't quite know how to explain it. "We started kissing and I guess I leaned too far into him and we ended up falling on your bed. From there, it just… happened." Weiss let go in shock, stunned by the admission. She then made a slightly disgusted noise, perturbed by the idea that her bed might have been used for… such acts.

Blake placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders, making her focus on the black-haired girl. "Ruby, did he make you do it? Pressure you, or anything that made you feel uncomfortable?"

Ruby shook her head, a slight smile on her face. "No, he didn't want to at first. He said it would be better to wait, but I convinced him."

"Wait you…." Weiss tried to comprehend what Ruby was saying, "And he… but you're not supposed to know about that stuff yet!"

"I'm 16 now, not 10. Plus, Yang is my sister, remember?" Ruby asked, just as the door of the dorm slammed open.

Yang stood there, her fiery aura glowing as she searched the room for her prey. "Where is he?"

"He left with Zwei. And something else apparently." Weiss told her as Ruby started to poke her fingers together in preparation for a scolding. Yang paused at the scene as the words processed.

"Explain." Weiss commanded as Yang continued looking at her sister. Ruby continued to poke her fingers together, not looking at her sister. Yang took a second to think about it, and came to a startling revelation.

"You didn't." Yang nearly choked on the words, not believing it was in her little sister to do that.

"We did." Ruby admitted. Yang rushed over, pulling her close.

"Oh, I can't believe it. He's dead and you're in so much trouble." She told her, squeezing the air from her lungs as thoughts of murdering Keeper coursed through her.

"Can't…! Breathe…!" Ruby gasped out, reminding Yang she didn't want to crush her sister. Yet.

"Tell me, right now. How did it happen?" Yang ordered Ruby, holding her sister's shoulder like a vice.

"Well…."

* * *

_Ruby and Keeper deepened their kiss as the door closed, leaving them alone in the room. Ruby leaned further into Keeper, pressing herself against him as she felt something she had only read about. Lust._

_Keeper seemed confused at the way she was pressing herself to him, and tried to step back. His foot slipped, and he pulled her down with him. They landed on Weiss's bad, Ruby straddling a stunned Keeper. Keeper couldn't help but notice that his blood was flowing in an unfamiliar way. When Ruby felt the pressure against her thigh, she knew she had him. They pulled back from each other, and Keeper's face was red from his position and reaction to said position._

"_Ruby, what are…?" Keeper's words stopped as Ruby pressed a finger to his lips. She smiled as she leaned in to whisper in his ear._

"_You and me, right now." Keeper's breath hitched as the words registered in his mind. Ruby pulled back, making sure she kept him pinned to the bed._

"_Wha-what?"_

"_Sex. I want you and judging by that," She said and slid her hand over the growing bulge, "You want me too."_

"_Ruby, this…"_

"_This is what I want." She pouted, mixing in her puppy-dog eyes for good measure as she pressed herself against him, "And since it's my birthday, I get what I want."_

Weiss snorted in disgust at Ruby's story. The idea of her team leader seducing her boyfriend, on Weiss's bed… unthinkable. Ruby shot her a frustrated look before continuing her story.

"_No." Keeper said, barely managing to slide himself out from underneath Ruby's body, "This is a big step in a relationship Ruby. We can't just jump into it. We need to…" His objections stopped as Ruby's hand slipped under his shirt, feeling its way across his chest._

"_You love me. I love you. It's that simple." Ruby told him, letting one hand play across his body while the other found the back of her dress. _

_He closed his eyes, trying to fortify his will against the feelings from within himself and from her touch. "Ruby, it's really not. This could change…" He felt her put his hand on something warm and fleshy. He hesitated only for a moment before giving it a light squeeze. Ruby's moan of pleasure made his heart race and his erection grow even harder._

"Ugh! Don't need those details Rubes." Yang said.

"You said you wanted to know how it happened." She replied. Blake only shook her head. What Ruby was describing sounded like a scene straight out of one of her romances. Something she would rather not associate with her team leader.

"_Does this change your mind?" She cooed, putting his other hand onto her other breast. His willpower was crumbling and she knew it. Her hand slipped from his chest and found his waistband._

_His eyes met hers, now full of the same lust that fueled her, "No going back now." He told her, lunging forward to kiss her as they gave in to their primal desires._

* * *

"Too much info!" Blake said, clamping her hand over Ruby's mouth. Ruby's eyes shot up as she tried to say something. Yang motioned for Blake to take her hands away.

"That's how it happened."

"So you seduced him?" Yang asked, and got a nod of confirmation, "Keeper never stood a chance." Yang smiled at the skill her 'innocent' little sister had displayed. Now she wouldn't kill Keeper. On sight, anyways. He deserved a chance to say goodbye before she demolished him for not being able to control himself.

"What?" Weiss shrieked, not understanding how Yang, one the most overly protective sisters in the world, wasn't hunting down the boy in question. Unfortunately, her raised voice woke up Team JNPR, prompting them to come and see what the commotion was. Jaune opened the doors to both dorms, his new plain pajamas standing out more than his onesie.

"Hey, could you keep it down? Unless it's important enough to wake up everyone in the building?" Jaune asked, his team nodding blearily as they tried to wake up. Weiss walked up to Jaune, the rest of the team following the drama from their doorway.

"Keep it down? Keep it down?" Weiss huffed, nearly ready to explode from the turn of events. A happy bark distracted everyone as Zwei with Keeper following close behind, walked down the hall. Keeper's eyes widened as he noticed everyone standing in the hallway, staring at his arrival.

"Finished Zwei's walk." He said, rather sheepish as Yang and Weiss fixed him with violent stares. Searching for a way out of his impending doom, he took notice of two members in the crowd of friends. Who happened to be standing just a little too close to be friendly.

"Before I get yelled by both of you, I have something to point out." Everyone's attention was Keeper's now, and that's how he needed it. "Right now, Nora and Ren are holding hands." Everyone nearly got whiplash as their necks snapped to look at the friends that weren't 'together-together' but were actually holding hands. Ren and Nora jumped apart, not making eye contact as they both turned deep shades of red.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Jaune exclaimed, pursuing as Ren and Nora ducked back into their dorm. Pyrrha only shook her head and followed her teammates. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Keeper grabbed the entirety of team RWBY and pulled them back into their dorm.

"First off Yang, I'm sorry. That trap was set days ago, and I was going to disarm it yesterday. But I got…. sidetracked." Keeper apologized as Yang gave him a dangerous-looking smirk.

"Yeah, I imagine." Yang remarked as Weiss marched up to Keeper and started to prod him in the chest repeatedly.

"You! How dare you! To go and take advantage of Ruby like that is…" Weiss had her tirade cut off by Ruby slapping a hand over her mouth.

"Weiss! That is not how it happened. Now stop it!" Ruby ordered her. Weiss humphed, but mumbled her understanding.

"Now that I'm not being interrupted, I have something to talk to Ruby about. Alone." Keeper emphasized his last word.

"After the last time we did that? As if." Weiss folded her arms across her chest.

"What she said." Blake followed up with.

"Yang, a little help?" Keeper asked, looking to the blonde for some support.

"Oh, not this time. This is soap opera level drama now." She said as she sat on Blake's bed and leaned back to watch. Keeper had seen enough daytime television to know that if he wasn't honest, he was dead then. Particularly since Yang was putting Ember Celica on.

"Fine." Keeper turned back to Ruby, and reached into a pocket. He drew out two small circles of metal, each topped with an average-sized red gem.

Everyone got quiet as they realized what Keeper was holding. A pair of rings.

"Ruby, the ancient customs of Ranth once dictated that we became full-fledged adults at sixteen, ready to be burdened with the weight of a family legacy and responsibility to our communities. While I know that is not the way it is anymore, there is something I want you to know." Keeper explained, holding both rings in his outstretched hand. "These are promise rings. Physical reminders that we are committed to being with each other. I thought they seemed appropriate since we took our relationship… to the next level last night."

Ruby stood still, staring at him and the rings. She nodded and took one from his hand, carefully slipping it onto the appropriate finger as he did the same.

Keeper looked at Weiss, a slightly annoyed look on his face. "Anything to add?" He knew better than to direct that question at Yang.

For a second, Weiss honestly considered slapping Keeper for acting so casual. But then she realized it was tantamount to him assigning his own mark to Ruby. That he was truly devoted to Ruby, and Ruby alone. She shook off the thought and said, "No. Your intentions have been made clear." Yang nodded and took off Ember Celica, a sight that made Keeper immensely relieved.

"Great. Now let's get back to sleeping in." Ruby suggested, quickly hopping up to her bed. Keeper was quick to follow.

"Not yet. Keeper has to go fish my bed out of the Academy pond." Yang clarified. Keeper heaved a long sigh before starting his trek for the lost furniture. He could be heard muttering in some unknown language, likely lamenting his predicament or cursing himself.

Once they couldn't hear his plodding footsteps anymore, Blake decided to ask what exactly had happened that Yang and her bed had gone missing from the room. "Why out to the Academy pond?"

"Why? Ask him. I was having a dream about partying on a cruise ship," Yang began her story, "Then an alarm went off, and I woke up. I had just enough time to realize my bed was hovering over the pond before it fell in. He's lucky I only landed in the shallows near the edge. If my hair got wet with that dirty water, they wouldn't find the body."

* * *

Eventually Keeper returned, his knock waking everyone from their mid-morning naps, including Yang who shared Ruby's bed. He stepped in, tossing Yang her freshly laundered sheets and pillow. Being careful to make as much noise as possible, he dragged the bedframe into the room. The resulting racket drew out Jaune, who only took the sight as a dream and went back to his own bed to keep sleeping on his last do-nothing day for the week.

Working together, Keeper and Yang put the frame back onto its position atop Blake's bed and stack of books.

"Great. Now where's the mattress?" Yang asked, eager to get back to sleep.

"Back in my dorm, drying out." Keeper told her.

"And how long will that take?"

"It's probably done, but I think you should go get it."

"What? Why?"

"Because if it isn't dry enough for you, it saves the misery of dragging it here and back more than once."

"Fine. Weiss and Blake. Watch them." Yang told her teammates before heading out. The black and white duo looked up at Ruby and Keeper, who were both in their pajamas.

"Don't try anything." Weiss told them.

"Wasn't planning to." Keeper said, holding Ruby close. They smiled as innocently as they could manage.

"Right." Blake said, sitting on her bed so she could at least keep an eye on them without standing around like an idiot. Weiss silently agreed with her assessment, joining her on the bed. Neither seemed to notice that their hands were resting on top of each other as their faces barely reddened at the contact.

Keeper, on the other hand, noticed and couldn't keep one of his more mischievous grins from forming. Something Weiss and Blake immediately saw and knew meant trouble.

"What are you planning? Don't say 'nothing', either!" Weiss demanded.

"Me? I'm just wondering how long until Pyrrha pins Jaune to a wall and kisses him senseless." Keeper half-lied. It was only one of the "ships", as Nora was fond of calling them, in the friend group he was thinking about.

"Pyrrha would never do that. She's too polite. Besides, Jaune still has a crush on Weiss." Ruby reminded her boyfriend, who stretched and decided to rest his head in her lap. She started to comb her fingers through his hair, making him hum with approval as the two older girls watched. They hated to admit how much the two seemed like the perfect couple. They managed to be so similar and yet different enough to not cause conflict.

"Poor Jaune is too dense for his own good. He doesn't even know about…" Keeper's reply was cut off by the return of a red-faced Yang with her mattress.

"You and your secret plans!" Yang accused Keeper, making him turn from his spot.

"What are you blaming me for now?" Yang's face only got redder as she tossed her mattress back to its spot.

"Neo! She was waiting for me, and extorted a date tonight for my mattress. I don't know how you planned that, but expect some kind of response." Yang said as she set about remaking her bed.

"Besides a message to not go back to the room later?" Keeper teased, earning a fiery glare from the blonde. "In all seriousness, I'll go pester Team JNPR so you have enough time to get ready for your date with their help. Bye!" He rolled out of Ruby's bed and dashed out of the room.

"So where are you two going?" Ruby asked her sister, glad to be the one making her blush and not the other way around.

"Ruby!"

* * *

Yang couldn't believe that she had agreed to do this. Nevertheless, she found herself at Junior's nightclub with Neo.

After assuring the shady bar-owner she wasn't going to destroy anything, she found an unoccupied booth to sit in with Neo.

"So why a nightclub?" She asked her date, unsure of what to expect from her former rival.

"I thought it would be easier for you if you were somewhere more suited to your… tastes. Not to mention, we're both of age so nothing's off-limits." Neo explained as she sipped her drink. The strong scent of spices drifted off the dark liquid, making Yang's eyes water.

"I don't know how you drink that," Yang muttered as she drank some of her Strawberry Sunrise.

"I like things hot," Neo winked at Yang, taking another sip of her spiced rum.

"So back before, when we were…. You know…" Yang tried to say, failing miserably to ask the question she wanted answered.

"If you must know, yes, from the moment I saw you under the overpass. I've never met someone so… interesting. And you're just how I like them: tall, blonde, and feisty." Neo blushed as she explained, surprising Yang. It wasn't the question she was trying to ask, but it was still a surprising response.

"Oh, uh, thanks… I guess." Yang felt rather uncomfortable being on the receiving end of the flirting. Not in a bad way. She was just used to doing the flirting herself. To steady her nerves, she drank the last of her Strawberry Sunrise and quickly signaled Junior for another.

"So tell me, why is the bartender so afraid of you that he's giving us drinks at half price?"

So Yang started to talk about the first time she had come here, and the ensuing destruction. Before she knew it she had finished the second drink and was nearly halfway through the third.

"You're kidding!" Neo said. Two empty glasses sat in front of the smaller girl.

"Nope. Clean out to the street." Yang demonstrated the punch she had actually used to do it, without the explosive repercussions.

"Wow. Over a few strands of hair?"

"Rule one: No touches my hair."

"I'll try to remember that next time." Yang looked at her date, the words not clicking in her mind until Neo's hands were gripping her hair as a pair of extremely soft lips pressed against hers. Yang couldn't stop the wave of ecstasy as their mouths overlapped perfectly. She let her eyes flutter shut as the kiss deepened. Yang soon matched Neo's pace until they pulled apart, gasping for air.

Still a little dazed, Yang heard herself ask, "Do you want to dance?" Neo's smile couldn't get any bigger at the question.

* * *

Yang opened the door to her dorm as quietly as she could. Unfortunately it was wasted as the light flipped on, revealing her three teammates standing there.

"Shouldn't you guys be asleep already?" Yang asked, looking at the clock. 2:19 am, not her longest night out but still impressive. Though not as impressive as Neo's apparent alcohol tolerance. The petite girl had finished at least six rums and she was the one that needed to remind Yang to leave.

"Maybe, but we wanted to make sure you made it back okay. That's what a team does." Blake told her partner.

Yang rolled her eyes, "You just wanted to see how the date went, didn't you?" Ruby eagerly hugged her sister proclaiming, "Of course!"

Pushing Ruby off so she could breathe, Yang answered, "It went fine."

"I would say it went more than fine, judging by the lip gloss on your face." Weiss pointed out.

* * *

Over at the Keeper dorm, Neo opened the door and was surprised that Keeper wasn't standing there, ready to interrogate her. Which made it a good ending to a great night. Tiptoeing so she wouldn't wake him up, Neo managed to grab her pajamas and change into them without making too much noise. But it was when she managed to slip into her bed that she jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Don't use me as a smokescreen with Yang. I like being on this side of life." Keeper's words carried across the quiet dorm.

"How'd you figure it out?" Neo didn't bother denying it. The sooner it was over, the sooner she got to sleep off the rum. Even with her natural resistance to alcohol, she was well beyond tipsy, but not as far as Yang was. She could only hope the blonde was ready for the impending hangover.

"Literally the day after you find out about the deal I made with Yang, something triggers the revenge prank you helped me set up. One that would force me to get her a new mattress and bedframe, of which we have extras, meaning we won't have to tell the school about it and thus avoid getting in trouble. Wasn't that hard."

"Well, don't worry about it. I don't need to do that anymore." A pause in the conversation made Neo think Keeper had actually fallen asleep, until she heard him shift on his bed.

"I'm guessing that means there's going to be a second date?" Neo couldn't see him in the dark of the dorm, but she was sure he had one of his smug grins on his face. At least he couldn't see her blushing at the idea.

* * *

**Notes: I feel like I'm on a list somewhere after writing this chapter. **

**Plus, Yang seems to have taken that a little too well... which will be dealt with. Eventually.**

**For now a little wacky bonus scene.**

* * *

_Saturday Night, JNPR Dorm_

Jaune looked in the general direction of the RWBY as another loud noise emanated from it.

"What do you think is going on over there?" he asked his teammates, looking at each of them in turn.

"All I know is Yang, Weiss, and Blake are somewhere else. And it looked like they left in a hurry." Pyrrha told him.

"Maybe its a second birthday surprise!" Nora suggested, hopping up from her spot on her bed.

A sudden wooden groan followed by a more distinctly human one directed their attention back to the dorm in question.

"I see two possibilities." Ren announced, "Either Ruby and Keeper are having their way with each other..." Everyone looked at him like he had gone mad. "or the far more realistic answer is that Ruby is high off of sugar and they left Keeper to deal with it."

Two raised voices offered their own opinion, any actual words lost in the muffling of two walls.

Jaune thought about it and nodded, "Yeah its probably the second one. No way Yang would even consider letting him live if it was the first one and they both know it." A pause in the background chaos let them muse over the possibility that whatever had happened had ended.

"At least it sounds like they had fun." Nora declared.


	15. Chapter 15

**Storming the Walls**

Monday arrived, and while most students were sleeping in and getting ready to party their way through the week without classes, Teams RWBY, JNPR, SSSN, and Keeper were all at breakfast discussing the training schedule. Or at least attempting to.

"So half of you are dating now? Impressive." Sun commented, looking at the two obvious couples and a sputtering Yang.

"We aren't dating. They pressured me into it!" Yang denied, making the entire table laugh. Yang tried to get a word in to continue defending herself, only to stutter to the point of being incomprehensible. Her hangover wasn't helping either.

"I think the lady doth protest too much." Neptune commented, making Yang's face and eyes turn red. But a light touch from Neo made the red in her eyes fade and the red on her face deeper.

"Now that we've sufficiently made fun of Yang. Is everybody ready to train for the tournament?" Keeper asked, eager to get some practice in on this more unfamiliar type of battle. After a quick confirmation that everyone was done with breakfast, they headed out to the arenas.

"Today's chosen training type: Overwhelming force. Which means you go against more and more until you go down." Yang instructed everyone, taking charge since she wasn't part of the tournament. Not that anyone was going to argue with her anyways. A hungover Yang was worse to argue with than an Ursa on the best of days.

The only people to make it beyond four opponents were Pyrrha and Keeper, but they both fell at six opponents. Since the matches had taken longer than expected, a quick break was called to give everyone time to recover.

"So Ren, when did you and Nora finally get 'together-together'?" Jaune asked his friend.

"Right before we left the village actually. You were chasing Keeper and Ruby at the time." Ren replied, holding Nora's hand as she bounced around him.

"It was romantic, it was epic, and it was ginormous!" Nora declared, her energy levels higher than anyone else's. Not a huge surprise to anyone who knew her.

"I simply asked her out. No big fuss." Ren translated as Nora squeezed him tightly.

"Boop." She told him as she touched the tip of his nose, giving him her biggest smile. Ren couldn't help but smile before giving her a quick kiss.

Keeper and Ruby sat back, watching the antics of Nora and her 'Ren-y' as Jaune continued to pester them with questions.

"This is the life. Good friends, a sunny day, and the most beautiful girl in the world at my side." Keeper commented as he stretched and held Ruby's hand.

"No regrets about leaving Home?" Ruby asked, smiling at him. He lifted her hand to softly kiss the back of her hand.

"Home is where my heart is. Which means it's wherever you are." Ruby pushed him back as she kissed him, forcing them to sprawl on the ground.

Yang just shook her head, watching her friends as they recovered from the training. Sun, Neptune, Weiss, and Blake were sitting together, talking about something. Everyone was getting into relationships and here she was, watching them. Her gaze found a certain short figure and she couldn't stop the smile that grew on her face. Maybe it was time to just accept it.

"Well! If it isn't some of my favorite customers and a fresh set of boytoys!" A voice announced. Everyone turned to look at the golden copper curls of the newest arrival. Keeper stopped his kissing match with Ruby to bolt over to the stranger dressed in jeans and a green blouse.

"Kira! What are you doing here?" He exclaimed as he hugged her. She managed to squeeze out of it, and put Keeper in a headlock. But rather than struggle he just smiled until she let him go.

"If my little brother is going to be fighting in a tournament, I should be there to see it. I can't wait to watch you win." She answered as they walked over to the others.

"Everyone, this is my sister Kira. Kira, everyone. She's a fashion designer in our hometown." Keeper introduced. Team SSSN seemed the most skeptical about Kira's presence, likely a result of the 'boytoy' comment.

"Well then, if everyone's done gawking at her, we've got training to get back to!" Yang ordered everyone, earning a chorus of groans.

* * *

Over the next few days, Kira's semblance became invaluable to the fighters as she pointed out flaws in their fighting styles and strategies. Between her advice and Yang's intense training, everyone was going to be as prepared as possible for the tournament.

Kira also used it to tease every single one of them, having her own fun at their expense. Particularly enjoying the chance to mess with her little brother and a certain blonde girl.

* * *

The fateful day finally arrived and it couldn't have happened on a more picturesque day. Warm, sunny, and with just a hint of a breeze, the day couldn't be a better start to a festival. Everyone finished their morning preparations and ate breakfast quickly, not wanting to miss any part of the start of the Vytal Festival. The walk into the city only made their excitement build as they went to the center of the city.

Every student from Beacon, and all the students from the other kingdoms, and most of the townspeople were there, standing around a raised platform with a podium. Ozpin, Goodwitch, Oobleck, General Ironwood, and several people none of them recognized all sat around the platform, waiting for the chance to speak. Ozpin went first, talking about culture, unity, the kingdoms, and the newest kingdom to soon join the celebration, which everyone else expanded upon before an older man announced the official start of the festival.

A few more speeches were made before the celebration kicked off with a parade through the city. While not the biggest fans of all the confetti raining down, the ten who had been at the Gathering immediately compared it to the last week with its own wild fun. The group scattered to explore the city now that it was full-on festival time.

Ruby and Keeper ran after the floats throwing out candy, glad to indulge their sugar cravings with total abandon. Kira, Yang, and Neo went off together, presumably to scheme something. Weiss and Blake went off on their own, eagerly pursued by Neptune and Sun. Scarlet and Sage found some friends from Mistral to hang out with. Nora ran off, her attention constantly shifting as Ren tried to keep up. Jaune and Pyrrha decided to head to the stadium where the tournament was going to start in a few hours in hopes of getting good seats. Once everyone had had their fun, they made their ways to the stadium to meet up with the two that were already waiting.

Much like the one destroyed back in Home, the stadium was designed to hold a lot of people for a lot of events. The main venue was normally used for major sporting events or professional fighting competitions, and was quite the sight. The main arena had been divided into six smaller areas to deal with all of the scheduled matches.

Everyone waited nervously for their scrolls to signal their turn as the matches started. Ruby's was the first to get a message directing her to the locker rooms to prepare for her match. Everyone wished her luck and Keeper kissed her on the cheek before she left.

* * *

After grabbing Crescent Rose and reporting to her arena, Ruby started to size up her opponent. The boy had to be taller than Yatsuhashi, who was the tallest person Ruby had ever met. But unlike the silent second-year, this boy kept everything except his arms covered in armor. But the sheer size of her opponent didn't make sense when compared to the tiny daggers clutched in his ham-sized hands. Her opponent only looked at her with a similar expression of confusion as he compared Crescent Rose to its wielder.

The referee walked up between them, and made sure they were ready to fight. Two nods as confirmation, and the referee blew his whistle to start the match.

Ruby knew she had the reach advantage, but her opponent closed the gap to negate that. He swung, missing as Ruby dodged the attacks. He stopped, analyzing her as she tried to come up with a plan. When he charged in again, she let him get as close as she could before planting her scythe's tip into the ground as deeply as she could manage.

He didn't have time to slow down as he hit the handle of the weapon with enough force to flip over it. He landed on his back, giving Ruby the opening to attack her downed opponent. But her swing missed, owing to a roll from him. She tried to go on the offensive, only for every strike to be parried.

_Something's got to break this stalemate_, she thought as they disengaged for the umpteenth time. Neither of them had landed a hit, each one dodging and blocking with precision. After leaping back, she felt a slight tug on her bandolier from an uneven weight pulling it askew. Thinking of what she had on the belt, she realized her answer had been right in front of her the whole time. Or rather, hanging on her belt.

She let the current magazine she had loaded drop to the ground. Grabbing one of Nora's special magazines, she slammed it home and chambered a round. Her opponent charged as she pointed the barrel of Crescent Rose downward. A quick press of the trigger and she was airborne.

She flew easily fifty feet into the air, making her opponent stare up, dumbfounded by her spontaneous flight. Ruby knew she had him then. Opening fire as she descended, he was caught in each shockwave until he dropped to the ground.

Ruby landed just in time for the referee to blow his whistle again. Looking at the scoreboard, his Aura had dropped into the red.

"The match is over! Our winner, Ruby Rose!" He said, his voice carrying the same quiet tones as Ren. The two combatants shook hands before returning to the locker rooms.

On her way out, Ruby noticed Sun and Neptune heading in, likely going for their matches. Once she put her sweetheart away and retrieved the rest of her stuff, she went back to her spot in the stands. She was greeted by the cheers of her friends and a kiss from Keeper.

"Way to blow him up!" Nora exclaimed as Ruby took her seat next to Keeper.

"Quite unconventional tactics. But effective in the situation." Keeper complimented, putting an arm around her.

"What he means to say is, 'You rock Rubes!'" Yang translated, hugging her sister.

* * *

It took close to five hours for the rest of the first round matches to be finished. Sun and Neptune went not long after Ruby, losing their matches. Neo and Blake went around the same time as Pyrrha, all three of them winning as expected. Unfortunately, Ren, Scarlet, and even Weiss lost their matches in close nail-biters. The final match by one of them was Keeper's. He faced off against a thin girl wielding a claymore, but defeated her in a matter of seconds when he managed to deflect her opening attack by kicking her sword out of the arena and into the retaining wall, then slashing at her undefended neck.

All four teams were glad to share dinner together, some more eager to talk about their fights than others. Ruby was ecstatic that she made it to the second round, a feat some would think of as impossible for her age. Sun used the opportunity to lament over his mistake of calling Keeper's victories 'flukes', offering his half-sincere apologies to the rightfully smug boy.

"Looks like there are two rounds tomorrow for everyone." Yang informed them, looking at the brackets and round information on her scroll, "Oh boy, this is interesting."

"What is it?" Blake peeked at Yang's scroll, and quickly saw the object of interest. "Well, that's awkward."

"What is?" Pyrrha asked.

"If Ruby and Keeper both win their first matches tomorrow, then they'll fight each other in the next round." Even got quiet as they looked at the two of them. Ruby looked at Keeper, who seemed lost in thought.

Keeper looked at Ruby, before nonchalantly stating, "You know, they say conflict is part of a relationship. I don't think they meant fighting each other in a tournament, but I'll go with it."

"Really? Are you actually going to fight her?" Yang asked.

"How else is one of us going to advance in the tournament?" Keeper got a bunch of strange looks as he and Ruby sat there unfazed. "What?"

* * *

After everyone finished their dinner, they spent the remainder of the evening at the carnival set up for the festival. Ruby, Keeper, and Jaune went on the spinning teacups, dredging up Jaune's nickname of "Vomit-Boy" while Pyrrha watched. Team SSSN found their Mistral friends again and wandered off with them. Ren chased Nora through the crowds, following her across rides and through waiting lines. Weiss and Blake merely observed their friends at play, not feeling the need to go wild. Eventually Ruby and Keeper went off on their own, using rides like the Ferris wheel to make-out without the fear of being interrupted by Yang or the others.

Later in the night they switched from rides to games. Neo won Yang a giant stuffed yellow lion at the ring toss booth after the blonde declared it impossible to win. Yang did her best to play down the act, but they did end up walking together holding hands as she clutched the stuffed animal close. Nora won every prize at the strong-arm booth, weighing down Ren who smiled to have his girlfriend happy. Pyrrha comforted Jaune as best she could, the poor boy still motion-sick from all the rides he had managed to barely stomach going on. Ruby and Keeper stuck to the claw-grab machines, eventually winning an oversized strawberry pillow that Ruby eagerly compared to Yang's specially-made Zwei pillow.

The night ended with a fireworks display that rivalled the two they had seen during the Gathering, marking the successful first day of the festival. The group then divided up and went back to their respective dorms.

* * *

Ruby and Yang were in their room, cuddling their winnings from the carnival while Weiss and Blake had stepped out for their own reasons. A knock on the door interrupted their quiet time.

"The door's open you two, can't believe you forgot your scrolls." Yang told the person on the other side of the door. The door opened, letting in Keeper.

"I didn't forget my scroll Yang. I wanted to see if Ruby wanted to go on a walk with me. You know, clear our heads before tomorrow." He asked, looking at the sisters.

"Sure." Ruby hopped down, sliding into her shoes. She took his hand and they started to walk out.

"Be back in ten or I'm hunting you down." Yang called after them, waving one of her gauntlets to show she meant business. _Maybe Neo is up for a walk or a good talk,_ she thought as she pulled out her scroll to message her not-quite official girlfriend.

* * *

Ruby and Keeper wandered through one of the school's courtyards, enjoying the night air.

"So, do you think we'll have to fight tomorrow?" Ruby asked, the question weighing them both down.

"Probably. We're both talented fighters." Keeper replied.

"Some more talented than others."

"Ruby, anyone can lose on any given day. In fact, I have lost many times before. Tomorrow, I want you to give it your best. No matter which one of us wins…." Keeper stopped talking, cocking his head to listen to something barely audible.

"What…?" Ruby started to question, only for Keeper to shush her. Leading her towards the source of the sounds, they could make out some words.

"But what about Weiss?" A voice, Pyrrha's, inquired. They stealthily approached the two people conversing, and found the two shield-bearers of JNPR together by a pillar. Jaune had Pyrrha up against the pillar while they stared into each other's eyes.

"I always wondered if I had a shot with you. Now that I know I do, who cares about the ice queen?" Jaune answered. He moved forward, surprising Pyrrha with a deep kiss. Keeper and Ruby covered their mouths, muffling their surprised squeaks. They quickly backpedaled away as their friends continued without knowing they had been spotted.

Once they were far enough away to go unheard, they stopped to talk. "So Jaune is over Weiss." Ruby said, restating the obvious.

"I can't believe I was right. Maybe someone should tell Weiss so she knows he's off the market." Keeper joked.

Seeing they still had some time before Yang's deadline, they started to head back to the dorm by going through one of the academic buildings. As they turned a corner in one hallway, they stopped. Weiss had Blake up against a wall, the two sharing a kiss that rivalled the one Jaune had just given Pyrrha. They stood in silent shock as the two girls separated.

"But Weiss…" Blake voice carried to them, her hands tangled in the girl's snowy white hair.

"I told you, I don't care about that. I'm done hiding it. I love you." Weiss answered, her voice ringing with conviction. They started to kiss again, making Ruby squeak. Keeper grabbed Ruby's hand, dragging her around the corner and covering her mouth. The two secret lovers turned towards the noise, unable to see who had made it.

"Hey! Who's there?" Blake yelled, the two girls striding towards the unknown intruders.

Keeper wrapped Ruby up in his arms, holding her tightly as he activated his semblance to run too fast to be seen.

Weiss and Blake looked for the intruder, but only found a pile of white flower petals leading away from the scene.

* * *

Yang looked up from her texting conversation with Neo when Keeper burst into the room carrying Ruby, right before her deadline. She didn't have time to question it as Ruby leapt out of his arms and straight into her bed. Keeper gave Yang a quick nod before opening and then jumping out of their window.

"What was that about?" Yang asked her sister, who seemed shocked by whatever had happened. Ruby barely started to come up with a way to explain what she saw before the door slammed open with their two very red-faced teammates looking angrily for a certain someone.

"Where's your boyfriend? We followed his trail right to here!" Weiss demanded of Ruby, who only drew the sheets over her head.

"Sorry! We didn't see anything!" She exclaimed, cowering on her bed. Yang looked from her hiding sister to the furiously blushing monochrome pair.

"Oh, this is going to get very interesting." She commented.

* * *

Neo was about to reply to the lengthy text from Yang when a knock on the window made her look up. Keeper was perched outside, doing his best to not crush his hanging flowerbox. Neo decided to snap a picture of the scene as part of her message before opening the window. Keeper stepped into the room and carefully closed the window before doing his best to look busy.

"What happened?" Neo asked innocently, silently thanking Yang for the update by sending the picture.

"Oh, the walk went well and we saw some things I will never discuss on pain of death." He replied, tinkering with a small magazine for his pistol. He was doing his best not to think about what he'd seen.

"You mean you saw little Miss Snowflake and Kitty Cat having some fun?" Neo smirked as Keeper froze, dropping everything he had been holding.

"And the fact that your girlfriend decided to tell you that means our teams can go on a triple date." Keeper joked, doing his best to think of a way to not get stabbed by Weiss or Blake the next time he saw them.

* * *

The next morning arrived later for everyone, making them slightly happier when they had to get ready for the day. They all met up in town and the hours flew by in a haze of excitement. If either Ruby or Keeper felt bad about the possibility of fighting each other, they didn't show it.

Before long they arrived at the stadium for the second day of the tournament. This time Kira managed to get a seat near the ten of them, making their large group even larger.

Neo was the first match to go for the second round, easily defeating a girl who looked like a red-headed version of Yang, wielding two blue, heavy gauntlets that had been modified to drop mines around the battlefield. But unlike Yang, her semblance seemed to revolve around ice rather than fire.

"So that's how you lost so badly." Keeper teased her, earning a painful punch to his shoulder.

Blake was next, her match nearly an hour later. Her opponent, a dark-haired boy that fought with a rapier and glyphs much like Weiss. Except he was definitely weaker. The match lasted surprising long, owing to Blake's seemingly distracted state. Pyrrha went next, facing an opponent who resembled a female version of Russell. The match lasted not even a minute as Pyrrha knocked her out with a shield to the face.

Then it was Keeper's match. The boy he was matched up against had a similar build to Keeper, his greenish-blue hair falling far enough to reach the small flail he was wielding. They had to wait until the arena was reset, but they were clearly sizing each other up.

"A flail. There is no way Keeper is going to attack first." Kira predicted. The others turned to look at her.

"Using that super-sight of yours?" Yang inquired, taking her eyes off of the arena floor.

"No, that's not how it works. Keeper is nothing if not one of the most experienced people when it comes to weapons, fighting, and combat in the world. How many people use a nearly ineffective weapon like a flail in duels?" Everyone shook their heads, recognizing the question's intent, "Which means this guy has a strategy that Keeper probably hasn't had to face. And he never goes into anything unknown unprepared, or at least without observing first."

"So, do you think this guy stands a chance?" Jaune asked, watching as the referee made his way to the arena.

"Not in the slightest."

* * *

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the match as the two dropped into combat stances. However, Keeper didn't draw his swords. Instead, he stared down his opponent, letting his gaze unnerve him. His opponent attacked, swinging his flail around to try and bash his skull in. Keeper dodged, his motion effortless as he ducked under the swing and landed an open-palm strike to the guy's face.

His poor foe stumbled backwards as Keeper returned to his opening stance, weapons still sheathed. _C'mon and show me what you're hiding up your sleeve_, Keeper thought as his opponent thumbed something on the flail's handle. Icy blue light colored the tips as he swung it in front of himself. Dust flowed and twisted, striking the ground of the arena and freezing the entire area solid underneath them.

Stomping to confirm the strength of the ice, Keeper made an appreciative grunt. _Got you now, _he thought.

Keeper charged forward, feet slipping across the frozen surface as he finally pulled out his swords. His opponent waited before dodging, his feet gliding over the ice as he activated his flail again, throwing more Ice Dust. This time the cold elemental power homed in on Keeper, who blocked the attack with Rosethorn, freezing the weapon and his hand. Keeper dropped a knee to the ice to slow himself down and reset himself.

Thinking he had incapacitated Keeper, the boy smiled. The smile faded as Rosethorn's fire erupted through the ice, freeing it and Keeper.

"My turn." Keeper proclaimed, darting forward with a speed boost from his semblance. Obstacles arose as more Dust flew through the arena, trying to slow Keeper's barely visible charge. But Keeper plunged his swords into the ice, using them like ski poles to redirect his momentum and gain even more speed. Soon the only way to see Keeper was to see the blizzard that was his trail. His opponent threw up a solid wall between him and the charging storm, trying to block off Keeper.

The blur of motion that was Keeper redirected around the wall, leaving a flaming marker at the point of its sharp turn. Another marker appeared, totally white against the pale blue of the ice as Keeper reappeared for a single moment. In that moment, everyone realized his pistol-handles weren't attached to the swords. And that Keeper was literally right above his opponent. A rather sickening crack echoed across the arena as Keeper pistol-whipped his foe, instantly knocking him out.

"Winner, Keeper!" The referee declared as Keeper recovered his missing equipment. A number of Fire Dust crystals were tossed into the arena to clear the ice as the injured boy was taken off. And Keeper had a smile on his face as he went to the locker rooms.

Everyone was still sitting in shock when Kira leaned into the center of them. "Told you."

* * *

Keeper took his seat back with his friends, frost still clinging to him and his clothes.

"It's a good thing you're a space heater in disguise." Ruby said as she hugged him, the momentary chill of the icy coating giving way to his natural warmth. The others ignored them as the two made sure he defrosted.

Ruby's match call came fifteen minutes later, leaving the others to expectantly watch the match. When it was over, Ruby stood victorious. Everyone looked at Keeper, only to be stunned by his contemplative smile.

* * *

After a short intermission, the matches resumed for round three. No one really paid attention to Neo's, Blake's, or even Pyrrha's match, too busy wondering how the two would fight each other. When they got their messages to report to the locker rooms, everybody watched as Keeper was the first to go, stoic as he left.

Ruby hesitated for a second, looking for any advice from the others.

Kira noticed and offered, "Hit hard. He's too thickheaded to feel it otherwise." With that piece of advice noted, Ruby went to get ready. She had a match to try and win.

* * *

Ruby stared down her opponent, his face aching familiar as he gave her a slight smile. She needed to come up with a plan before the match started. She had already loaded one of Nora's explosive magazines, something Keeper wouldn't expect. But how do you fight against someone you love when you know they can defeat anyone?

* * *

Keeper looked at Ruby, watching her emotional turmoil. It tore into him to be the cause of it. He wondered what kind of surprises she would bring to the table. Someone as smart and creative as her would have something to throw him off. His eyes managed to drift off of her, just in time for the referee to raise the whistle to his lips.

* * *

Ruby opened fire, the recoil nearly knocking her off her feet. Keeper's first instinct was to block, and his swords immediately flashed into a defensive position. The first explosive round hit, detonating with enough force to throw him from his feet. He landed on his back, rolling his body under the second and third shots. He made it to his feet with enough time to jump over the next few rounds, before vanishing with his speed. Knowing what to expect, Ruby deployed her scythe blade and turned around to block.

But the blow still found her back, tossing her into the air as Keeper stood in the spot she had just vacated. Taking advantage of her new altitude, Ruby continued to shoot at Keeper, sending him flipping backwards to avoid the attacks. He disappeared again, this time forming a wall of petals as Ruby landed.

Ruby knew this was some kind of trick, and raced forward as fast as she could. She swung at the wall of petals, and felt her scythe catch on something as a metallic ringing reached her ears. Keeper stepped out of the wall, his two swords now a single greatsword, red tipped as fire licked along the glazed red top.

Keeper swung his sword, a wave of fire rolling towards Ruby as they disengaged. Ruby ducked under the searing wave, returning to her feet swinging. Keeper stepped into the swing, blocking it from within the blade's arc.

Ruby ducked as Keeper's hand left the sword handle, aimed at her head. Using her lessons, she kicked at his knee, only for Keeper to jump and flip over her and Crescent Rose.

* * *

Yang watched the two continue to duel as they flipped, kicked, swung, and blocked. Neither seemed to have an advantage as they used their semblances sparingly, trying to outlast each other.

"Other than in the opening, no one has brought any gunplay into this. Why?" She asked, looking to Kira as the one with the answers. Everyone turned back to the sound of fire catching as the two dueled.

"They're both too fast and skilled to allow either of them to use their guns. Now that they're in close range, this is a contest of wills." The older girl told them. She watched as the two continued their dance of parries and strikes.

"Then that's bad for Keeper. Ruby's beaten his will before." Yang replied, not taking her eyes off of the action. Kira cocked her head, unsure if she had heard it wrong.

"Come again?"

"He didn't tell you? Well, it was Ruby's birthday last week….."

* * *

Keeper managed to duck under another swing, this time choosing to move back and disengage. But Ruby gave chase, firing behind her to propel herself at him. Knowing what was coming, Keeper remembered the last time he had fought a scythe-wielder and how he had won.

Keeper felt time slow as his adrenaline surged to a new height, combining with his semblance. His swords fell from his hands as he leapt forward, intent on catching Ruby. He reached out, grabbing Ruby's arm and knocking her scythe around himself.

* * *

Ruby felt a hand wrap around her arm, pulling her away from her sweetheart mid-flight. She found herself dangling from Keeper's grasp as he held her above the ground. Without a weapon in her hand, she knew she had one card left to play.

"Sorry, Keeper." And her foot connected.

* * *

The males in the crowd winced and groaned in sympathy as Keeper let Ruby go, his hands around his crotch as he suppressed a scream of pain. Ruby stood over him as he knelt in the dirt, leaving her with the opening to finish the match.

Ruby's hand clenched into a fist, remembering all the lessons on unarmed fighting with Keeper. But as she swung, his hands flew up. One blocked her punch while the other made a stiff-fingered jab into her diaphragm.

The air rushed out her lungs, leaving her gasping as Keeper stood up, throwing an uppercut that lifted her completely off the ground. She landed on her back, too dazed to do more than see stars when the whistle blew.

"Match over! The winner is Keeper!" The referee announced. Ruby shook her head clear as Keeper extended his hand to help her up. They shared a quick look at the scoreboard, and were amazed at how close they had been the entire fight. Working together, they gathered up their weapons and made their way to the locker rooms.

* * *

Everyone was amazed as Ruby and Keeper walked back together, holding hands and laughing at something.

"How?" Yang asked, looking at the two of them.

"How what?" Keeper looked confused as he and Ruby took their seats to watch the rest of the round.

"She got you right in the uh…" Yang found herself at a loss of words, something she rarely suffered from. How do you ask about the condition of your sister's boyfriend's genitals? Even she couldn't be that insensitive.

"Family jewels?" Kira offered. At least his sister was there to check.

"Effective analogy." Ren commented.

"Oh," Keeper looked to Ruby for an explanation, "That's because…. Well… she, uh…."

"I missed." Ruby stated, a note of finality to her words. Everyone decided now was the time to shut up and watch the matches.

Once all the matches were done for the day, the students still advancing sighed in relief. Tomorrow was Sunday, and no matches were going to be held to give them a day to enjoy the festival and recover from the previous rounds.

The next three rounds would be held on Monday, followed by another day off. That left Wednesday for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and at last the finals and crowning of the champion. But what everyone was truly excited for was Thursday, the day of the Vytal Festival Ball and a chance for the many couples to have a night out together before the festival ended and classes resumed.

* * *

Later that night, Neo and Keeper were in their dorm, quietly maintaining their weapons when a knock on the door startled them. Neo was closer to the door, so she got up and opened it. Ruby stood outside in her pajamas, a light rouging across her cheeks as she noticed it was Neo at the door and not Keeper.

"Can I come in?" She asked Keeper's roommate, still uncomfortable around the former bodyguard and current girlfriend of her older sister.

"Sure, we weren't doing anything that was too important." She said, letting Ruby into the dorm.

"Weapon and equipment maintenance are very important Neo." Keeper admonished her, looking up from his disassembled swords.

"Maybe for someone with ten weapons crammed together." Neo sarcastically replied.

"Keeper is right. It is important." Ruby noted, making Neo roll her eyes.

"Anyways, what did you want cutie?" Neo asked, smiling at Ruby's embarrassed reaction.

"Uh, just to check on Keeper."

"He's right there then. I'm going to change into my pajamas so keep your sexy talk short." With the dirty comment making Ruby's face redder, Neo scooped up her pajamas and ducked into the bathroom. Ruby watched as Keeper got up, already in his pajamas, and quickly came over to give her a quick kiss.

"You have a surprisingly accurate kick." Keeper playfully told her, shifting his stance slightly to alleviate some lingering ache.

"Sorry about that." Ruby ducked her head, feeling bad about actually kicking her boyfriend where it mattered.

"I'm not complaining. I'm glad that you gave it everything today." Keeper smiled as he kissed her forehead. "Dealing with that in the middle of a fight was tough though."

"Are you sure you're fine?" Ruby stepped in closer, wrapping her arms around his waist as she looked into his eyes. Keeper knew what she was doing and noticed her 'naughty eyes', as he decided to call them. He couldn't help but smile as he leaned in to start their fun with a kiss.

"Is that an invitation to check and make sure?" Their banter ground to a halt as Neo walked out of the bathroom. Her pink shorts had little neapolitan sundae designs on them and her white shirt had "Too Sweet to be Bad." written on it.

Neo immediately noticed how close the two were, and couldn't help but comment. "Glad I came out when I did. Any later and you might have already started." Ruby and Keeper stepped apart, not very far, heavy blushes making everything from their necks to the tips of their ears turn red. Neo couldn't help but laugh at the predicament.

"Don't worry," Neo told them as she strode to the door, "I'll just go see what Yang is up to." She exited the room, leaving two lovers alone.

"Now where…?" Keeper's question was cut off by Ruby's lips covering his. He eagerly returned the kiss, drawing her close as he pulled her towards his bed.

* * *

Yang heard a knock on the door and opened it to find her girlfriend Neo. She was still surprised it had only taken one date for them to make it official. But Neo could be quite convincing in her own non-verbal way.

"What brings you by, butterfly?" Yang asked, noticing Neo was in her pajamas. And was looking rather hot in them.

"Keeper and Ruby are having a serious talk in our room, and I wanted to see…" Neo stopped talking, and looked around the room. "No Weiss or Blake?"

"Nope. Weiss and Blake are 'studying' in the library. Not that hard to figure out why those two spent so much time studying together now that we know about them."

"Good." Neo said before pouncing on Yang, dragging the blonde to the ground as she passionately kissed her.

* * *

Ruby and Keeper were laying in his bed, having finished making sure everything worked properly. They held each other close, Keeper's one arm wrapped around her waist and the other gently stroking her back as Ruby held Keeper close to her chest.

"Your bed or mine tonight?" Keeper mumbled, the long day having left him exhausted. Or perhaps all the testing after the injury had taken all of his remaining stamina. He wasn't entirely sure himself.

"Mine. So everyone doesn't get too suspicious." Ruby told him, pushing back the sheets. Keeper half-groaned at the idea of making the walk, but understood the logic.

"Let me make sure Neo and Yang aren't up to anything before we go over there."

"Good idea. I don't want a repeat of the Weiss/Blake thing. They're still mad at you about that." Ruby reminded Keeper as he opened his scroll, firing off a quick message to his ice-cream themed teammate.

"Making your sister mad is on my list of things to never do."

* * *

Neo looked at her scroll, annoyed that it had interrupted her fun with her busty blonde.

"Hey, you mind if Keeper and Ruby come back to the room?" Neo asked Yang from her position under the smaller girl. The sheets of her bed were tangled between them again.

"Tell them fifteen minutes, then they can. I'm setting a record right now." Yang informed her, pulling her back into kissing range. Neo barely managed to send the message before Yang started looking to tongue wrestle.

* * *

Ruby and Keeper waited more than the determined amount of time before returning to the RWBY dorm. They found Neo and Yang sitting on the latter's bed, looking rather content and thankfully fully clothed.

"So I'm guessing someone should let the other two know it's a sleepover night." Keeper suggested as he and Ruby climbed into her suspended bed.

"Already covered." Yang told him, holding up her scroll. "Sure they're going to be a little miffed we didn't say anything sooner, but hey, live life to its fullest I always say."

The door opening made the four turn to watch Blake and Weiss return.

"Seems you really didn't wait for our approval." Weiss stated as she noticed the small crowd already in the room.

"We'll deal with it in the morning. And nobody better wake me up early!" Yang fired back, looking at two very specific people. Keeper nodded his compliance as Neo gave her a smirk.

Blake could only shake her head, "This is the strangest group of friends."


	16. Chapter 16

**A Little R&amp;R**

"So what's the plan for today?" Yang asked around a bite of her lunch. Teams RWBY and Keeper had the day off from matches, and that meant it was a day of relaxation. It had started out well for everyone as no one needed to wake up early or felt the need to use an alarm, whistle, or bagpipes. All that left for them to do was eat lunch and plan out the rest of the day, since Team JNPR had gone off for "team building" exercises.

Ruby shrugged at her sister, "I don't know, but whatever it is, let's make sure it's nothing involving a lot of work. Or leaving campus. Or leaving. Of any kind."

"So stay in your bed all day?" Keeper translated her responsive shrug as trying to make it seem like that hadn't been her plan anyways. "I'm game. Though we might snap the ropes." He answered, pulling Ruby close and letting his head rest against hers. Ruby smiled as she squeezed him back.

Weiss turned a deep shade of red as the implications of what they meant hit her. She groaned, still visibly uncomfortable by the thought of her team leader and her boyfriend together in bed all day. "You two! We're trying to eat here." Keeper stifled a chuckle while Ruby only made as innocent of a smile as she could manage as Keeper started to tickle her. Once everyone else realized it had been planned and laughed, Weiss only looked at them angrily.

Yang rolled her eyes at Weiss's display of annoyance, "You're just mad that you're too afraid to do that to Blakey." Blake blushed as Neo, Ruby, and Keeper started to laugh at Weiss's sputtered attempts to respond.

"Let's be serious for a second. What do you all want to do? It's a free day to do whatever you ladies want to do." Keeper asked, knowing that as the instigator he should be responsible enough to get them back on topic.

"Well, it's our one day off, so we should relax. And if we're looking for maximum relaxation, we could all go out to the spa for the day," Weiss suggested. She looked at the others expecting to see nods of agreement, but found skeptical glances and Keeper's frown. "What's wrong with a spa day?"

Ruby turned to Weiss with an almost sad look, "But what about him? Guys don't go to spas." Keeper shrugged, emphasizing the fact he was sitting at the table.

"He can come to the spa. They have things they can do for guys." Weiss replied. Nobody seemed to notice that Keeper had grown a shade paler.

"How do you improve something this naturally good-looking?" Keeper motioned to himself, his overly goofy grin drawing a slight laugh at his joke while covering a slight edge of unease in his voice. All he had heard about spas up to this point involved hot wax and it didn't sound pleasant.

"By getting that dye-job straightened out." Yang said, pointing out the black-colored roots that were starting to stand out. She turned back to Weiss, "But isn't the only spa in town beyond expensive? Even with the 'generosity' of Keeper's old 'friends', none of us can afford to spend like that."

Weiss rolled her eyes, only for Keeper to answer, "Did you guys forget I'm here? Or that I'm incredibly rich? Particularly now that the air trade is booming everywhere, I've got more money than I could spend in my entire lifetime. Weiss can book it because she's connected, but I'm covering it. Only seems fair since I owe you for saving my life a few times anyways." The friends all exchanged some more looks before agreeing to Keeper's plan. Weiss smiled, "Perfect! I'll call and make our appointments after we finish eating."

They finished lunch not long after and returned to their dorms. Once Weiss scheduled the appointments, Neo and Keeper came back to wait with their girlfriends. When Weiss hung up, she started acting almost as energetic as Ruby, which made everyone laugh.

"Who gave Weiss the espresso?" Yang jokingly asked, remembering the first time the heiress had had some of the concentrated coffee. She hadn't been able to sleep for two days. But no one denied it was pleasant to see Weiss give up on her usual etiquette and act less proper occasionally.

* * *

They departed soon after that, owing to the spa's distant address on the far side of town. Since Weiss had managed to reserve a spot in only an hour, they rode the airship to ensure that they would get there on time. The girls spent the ride chatting about the treatments they were going to have as Keeper sat in a contemplative silence. They only took notice after he started turning paler and paler.

"Keeps, you okay over there?" Yang asked, deciding to use a nickname to snap him out of it. The one thing she knew would bug him.

Keeper fell out of whatever daydream he had been in, turning to the blonde with a blank expression, "Sorry, what? I'm good."

"You don't look it. Talk." Weiss ordered him. Knowing better than to argue, Keeper elected to sigh instead.

"It's just….I don't know… I'm…." Keeper's words disappeared into a quiet mumble. Ruby poked Keeper in the ribs, making him squeak, "Afraid!" He cleared his throat to cover the unmanly noise he'd made. "I've never done this before. And most of those things sound like torture techniques."

"Big bad Keeper is afraid of a spa day?" Yang stared at the boy while everyone shared a laugh. He looked rather uncomfortable with the admission, his eyes boring holes into the floor. Once everyone calmed down and disembarked at the airport, they started towards the spa.

Ruby and Keeper held hands along the way, enjoying the idle conversation. The whole group couldn't help but notice when Yang wrapped her arm around Neo's shoulders, surprising the smaller girl by pulling her to Yang's hip. The two shared a smile as everyone teased Neo for her slightly embarrassed demeanor.

Once they arrived and walked inside, they were greeted by a woman who led them down a hallway. Weiss had chosen basic packages for everyone, and they were all led into separate rooms, except Keeper and Ruby, for whom Weiss had generously arranged a couples' massage. Her version of a peace offering is what they figured it to be.

The masseuses stepped outside to let the two undress and get comfortable underneath their towels before beginning. Ruby and Keeper were rather embarrassed by the thought of being naked around others, but they pushed through it and got under the privacy towels. The masseuses returned to begin the massage, starting with an application of mineral oil to their backs. Keeper made a groan of pleasure, his words failing at the new sensation. It felt strange to his senses but very soothing. His vocalizations increased as the masseuses seemingly divine fingers worked out lifetimes of stress knots, his earlier fears totally forgotten. Next to him he could hear Ruby's comments, praising the massage.

_I've got to learn how to do this. If not for myself, then at least for Ruby's sake. _Keeper thought as he slipped into a coma of total serenity and bliss.

The massage lasted an hour, which was much too short in both of their opinions. Afterwards the two were led to a large private bath, secretly surprised by being allowed to continue having a couple's spa day. They weren't going to complain about it though. The water of the bath was filled with various aromatics, oils, and things that even Keeper couldn't come up with a name for. They settled into the warm water and Keeper noticed Ruby's playful smile. "Don't even say it."

"So are spas still scary?" Ruby asked, knowing what she was doing.

"No." Keeper laughed, moving to his girlfriend's side. She splashed him, ready to play. Keeper retaliated, sparking a heated war until Ruby won by getting an aromatic petal up Keeper's nose.

Following the bath, Ruby was reunited with the girls for a Mani-Pedi while Keeper was led off for a guy's skin rejuvenation. After those were finished, they ended the day by getting their hair done. Which in Keeper's case meant getting his hair dyed again, this time going pure silver with a single bit of red in his bangs. By the time they left, all of them were looking their absolute best. People of all ages and both genders watched as they made their way back to the airship.

"You know Weiss, this was a novel experience. I'm glad you actually invited me along." Keeper said, not having taken his eyes off of Ruby during the entire walk as they took their seats.

Yang nodded her agreement, "Yeah, thanks Weiss. Is there anything we can do to pay you back? I know you don't like it, but we should do something especially since Keeper covered the bill."

"Well…." Weiss pretended to think about it, "You could let Blake and I have the room to ourselves tonight." Ruby and Keeper eagerly engaged in a private conversation, preferring not to listen to those kinds of plans. They didn't even talk about or plan their private time together.

Yang had a smug grin on her face as she noticed Blake's creeping blush. "Oh, it's official then? Did we miss that conversation?"

Neo laughed, playing along, "I hardly think it was a conversation, but I imagine lips were moving." Weiss joined Blake in blushing as Keeper and Ruby obliviously continued their intense discussion about "unarmed combat".

"Hardly. While it could be effective, it just as easily could lead to rather awkward contact." Keeper argued, drowning out the building argument between Weiss and Yang.

"But it always works. You just have to get your fingers in the right spot, give it a little wiggle, and…" Ruby mimicked an explosion with her hands. Blake noticed the in-depth discussion and tapped Neo's shoulder then pointed at Ruby and Keeper.

"That's assuming you're using your fingers the right way. You need to be able to work them individually and in concert. A skill I happen to have." Keeper boasted. They hadn't realized that the others had stopped talking, instead choosing to listen to the strange conversation.

"Then you're going to have to show me some proof later." Ruby countered, pulling Keeper's face close.

"What the hell are you two discussing?" Weiss growled, questioning the public decency of their talk.

"A neck pinch technique Ruby saw in a movie. What do you think we were talking about?" Keeper's expression of sincere confusion made Weiss blush as she realized what she had been implying. _Being around Yang has certainly dirtied my mind_, she concluded. They spent the rest of the ride back debating the accuracy of fighting sequences in movies, particularly hand-to-hand fighting since they had three opinionated heavyweights on the subject.

* * *

It wasn't even four o'clock when they made it back to campus, again raising the question of what to do. However, considering how they looked after the spa trip, the decision to go somewhere fancy for dinner was easy. Weiss set about making the reservations after noting that Keeper would again foot the bill, much to his amusement. All that they needed to do was put on more formal clothes and it would still leave some time to kill before they had to go into town. Keeper and Neo went back to their dorm as the girls pulled out their outfits and prepared for the impromptu dinner. A sudden buzzing from Blake's scroll became the focus of everyone once they had reconvened to continue wasting time.

"What's the message Kitty Cat?" Yang asked, looking at Blake as she checked the message. Neo sat next to the blonde, her head lazily propped on the taller girl's shoulder.

"Sun wants to know if Weiss and I are free for a double date with him and Neptune." Blake told them, looking at Weiss's inscrutable expression.

"Tell them that we're not interested. But we still need to meet up." Weiss stated. Blake nodded and started to type the response as the other four watched.

"Those poor fools." Yang shook her head as Neo adjusted her pink dress. The poor girl was having a harder time with it than Ruby was wearing her high heels.

"Let them down easy. It's not their fault." Keeper advised when they decided to leave early to meet up with Neptune and Sun.

* * *

While walking over, Ruby tripped twice but was caught by a vigilant Keeper. By the time they reached the meeting point with the two members of Team SSSN, Ruby was clinging onto Keeper's outstretched arm as he did his best to keep her from turning an ankle on the cobblestones.

"I don't know why I wore these Lady-Stilts." She admitted, still trying to understand how Weiss could walk much less fight wearing them.

"Remind me to teach you how to properly wear them since Weiss has apparently failed to do that." Keeper told her. Only when he noticed the looks he was getting from her and the others did he realize his mistake. "Hey, is that Sun and Neptune over there?" He pointed to two approaching figures.

Weiss and Blake shared a look before heading over to the two boys. Meanwhile, Yang and Neo rounded on Keeper.

"Do I even want to know why you know how to walk in heels?" Neo asked, wondering what kinds of other secrets her teammate was hiding. Besides the ones she helped him keep.

"Two hundred years ago it became high fashion for a man to wear them as a display of dominance. Had to learn how to wear them and it's not something you forget, even after that long." Keeper said, rubbing the back of his neck as a blush crept across his face.

"Is there anything too ridiculous that you haven't already done?" Yang asked. Keeper thought about it and shrugged noncommittally. The chaos of life was something you learned to go along with in his opinion.

"Great, even my boyfriend knows how to wear them better than I do." Ruby muttered dejectedly.

Keeper hugged her close, and kissed her cheek, "Don't worry. They don't make me look as good as you do in them."

* * *

"Blake!" Sun exclaimed, surprised by the two girls in formalwear. "Wow, you two look…. Wow!"

"Leave the smooth talk to me, buddy." Neptune said, flashing his characteristic smile. "So I'm guessing you and the others are going out?"

"Yes. In fact, we're all out on dates." Weiss explained, stepping closer to Blake. Neptune's and Sun's eyes widened as Blake took her hand. For a moment, none of them said anything. Then Neptune and Sun smiled.

"That's great! Good for you two!" Sun said, completely sincere.

"Yeah, what he said. Sorry to have bothered you two. We hope you enjoy your date." Neptune said, giving a slight bow. "We wish you nothing but the best." With it settled, the two friends left the girls in a stunned silence.

"They took that rather well." Blake noted.

Weiss allowed herself a small smile. "I imagine they'll be snatched up soon enough." She turned to her Faunus date, "Shall we?"

* * *

The six friends arrived at the restaurant and were blown away by Weiss's choice. The building put any place they had been to before to shame. The interior was closer in shape and size to a ballroom than a restaurant. Antiques of indeterminable value decorated the room, and the others couldn't imagine what it felt like for Weiss, who ate at these kinds of places regularly. After being led to their table, Weiss made eye contact with everyone.

"Best behavior. Got it?" Weiss said in a hushed command once the waiter was out of earshot. She made certain to keep her eyes focused on Yang.

"You should really try lightening up, we aren't going to do anything dangerous. " Yang rolled her eyes at the implied accusation.

Everyone ordered based off of suggestions from Weiss since they weren't certain what most of the dishes were. Even Keeper struggled, and chose to rely on Weiss's suggestion over his own instincts. Even after the meals were brought out, they could barely identify what was on their plates. That didn't make the argument that it was delicious any weaker. The meal managed to go smoothly, with Keeper leaving a generous tip as they left.

Not long after they started to head back to Beacon, Ruby tripped again. Unlike the other times, she managed to snap the heel off of her shoe. Luckily Keeper managed to catch her before she hit the cobblestones. He didn't say anything as he wrapped her arms around his neck and slung her on his back for a safe ride. No one complained, especially not him since she spent the entire time peppering his neck and cheeks with kisses for saving her from the killer shoes.

Once they were all back to the dorms, Ruby and Yang changed into their pajamas and grabbed clothing for the next day before leaving Weiss and Blake to have the room to themselves. The sisters went to the Keeper dorm, and were welcomed with hugs and kisses. After that the couples settled into bed, snuggled together in the bliss of each other's grasp.

* * *

Ruby and Neo were awoken by a long, drawn-out note from a violin. Looking around they noticed that Keeper was up and dressed, playing said violin. Yang only grunted and rolled over, mumbling something about Mondays.

"Fancy a river stomp?" Keeper asked as the three of them observed the sleeping blonde.

"Do so at your own risk." Neo told him, stepping back.

"Yang can sleep through almost anything." Ruby stated. She knew only a few things could wake Yang but she didn't have them in the room.

"Doesn't mean I can't try." He rebutted.

"Again, at your own risk." Neo reminded him. She was not going to try and be Yang's alarm clock; it hadn't gone well the first time she had tried and she wasn't planning a second attempt. Unless it was to sneak in some extra fun before class.

"Just be careful, you have matches today." Ruby recommended, putting a hand on Keeper's arm before he started to play.

He soon had Yang up after he snapped a string and it managed to tangle in her hair. The wall gained several holes before they managed to liberate the damaged instrument from Yang's golden locks.

* * *

With only three matches to go until the quarter-finals on Wednesday, the three teams were excited to see if the last four competing would make it to the last day of competition. After meeting up for lunch and walking over to the stadium together, they all waited for the next series of rounds to start.

The fourth round went smoothly for everyone, each of them winning without breaking a sweat. The fifth round was one of the most challenging they had seen.

Neo was the first one to go this round, and it had to be one of the most brutal fights for her. The girl she was facing wielded a nasty spear that separated into a pair of bladed gun-chuks, reminding them of Sun's weapons. Neo did her best to keep moving and never let herself be pinned down, but eventually a few heavy blows and slashes managed to hit her. Luckily her aura kept her from getting anything more serious than some small cuts. When she made it back to her friends, she was comforted by Yang's hugs and the others' words.

Pyrrha's match was not long after that. She faced off against a fairly average-looking boy with a longsword that transformed into a heavy crossbow. Pyrrha soon discovered that the bolts of his weapon were tipped with Dust, applying elemental effects to make his long-ranged attacks super-effective, particularly with his seeming skill to predict her moves. Eventually Pyrrha managed to edge out a victory, but only after having her aura dropped unusually low.

Keeper was the next one to go, facing what could have been Pyrrha's mirror image: same weapon, same armor, and same fighting style. The only way they were able to tell the difference was the girl's color scheme was green, matching her long green hair. The match went longer than any before it, but Keeper managed to take the victory with the help of the Dust abilities in his swords and his versatile arsenal.

Blake went last, facing off against a larger boy that wielded a warhammer that could fire shotgun shells for added force and ranged attacks. Blake did her best to keep out of the way of the blows, but she was clearly outmatched in terms of raw power. The boy seized on this difference, managing to land a blow so powerful it knocked Blake into another match. When the defeated Faunus got back to her friends, she put her head on Weiss's shoulder, teary-eyed as Weiss stroked her hair.

"It's not your fault Blake." Yang comforted her partner.

"Yeah, he's almost as good as I am with Magnhild!" Nora declared, Ren nodding his agreement.

"Personally, I would blame Weiss for exhausting you last night." Keeper said, making Jaune spray his drink in surprise.

"Wait, Weiss and Blake are together?" He stated as he wiped his mouth, a slight grin forming. Yang and Neo did their best to suppress their own laughter at Jaune's denseness.

Weiss's look of fury settled on the two boys, "Y-You dunces! Why don't you tell the whole stadium?"

Ruby knew what to do at this point, "Weiss, I think Keeper is trying to make Blake feel better." She poked him in the chest to emphasize her point. Keeper rolled his eyes before nodding.

"Relax Weiss. I just thought Blake thinking about last night's date would make her feel better." Keeper explained, offering his hand, "Sorry to offend?"

Weiss hesitated before shaking his hand, "Fine. Only because your girlfriend is my partner." Ruby, Blake, and Keeper simultaneously rolled their eyes, making Weiss harrumph. Blake quickly settled her down by slipping her arms around her, rubbing her arm in a soothing manner.

* * *

An hour later when the final round started, the last two left fighting were called for matches at the same time, luckily not against each other. A kiss from Jaune for Pyrrha and one from Ruby for Keeper later, the two were fighting on side-by-side arenas, ensuring their friends could watch both matches with ease.

Pyrrha went up against a girl wielding a large two-handed mace while Keeper had to face down a boy taller than him with a sword and a towering shield.

Their matches started the same way, with the friends charging in firing to test their opponent's defenses. Once they got into close combat, they took very different paths. Pyrrha matched her opponent's swings and parries, a dance between the fighters. Keeper kept cycling through his weapons, trying to keep his opponent on the defensive until he could find a way around the boy's shield.

Pyrrha managed to win before Keeper was knocked back by a heavy shield bash. Using the separation as an opportunity to think, Keeper stood still as his slower opponent crept closer. He activated his semblance, and bull-rushed forward to slam into the shield. His aura took a big hit from the move, but not as big a hit as the boy. Keeper already put a lot of force into his hits, but a body-slam at full speed was too much for his opponent to handle. His shield was flung backwards, hitting him square between the eyes. Stunned by the impact, Keeper slipped under his guard and finished the match with a quick series of strikes.

* * *

Pyrrha and Keeper nodded to each other as they went to the locker rooms, ready to rest for Wednesday. When they got back to their friends, the respective couples shared a very public display of affection.

"You managed to make it to the quarter-finals! I'm so proud!" Ruby gushed, hugging Keeper tightly. He grunted in pain, his ribs slightly bruised from his maneuver. Ruby heard it and let go before switching to a less tight grip.

"Yes. I'm quite impressed by Keeper's ability to adapt to the arena." Pyrrha commented as Jaune had his arm around her waist.

"This is proof that old dogs can learn new tricks." Keeper quoted, making everyone laugh.

"Is this your way of telling us you're old or that you have fleas?" Neo joked, making everyone laugh again. Keeper playfully punched his partner's shoulder, nearly knocking her off her feet. For his trouble he received a less playful punch to his shoulder from Yang.

* * *

The teams stayed in town after the last match ended, spending a few hours enjoying the festival, getting dinner, and eventually going to the docks to watch the sun set.

Ruby stretched out, her head resting in Keeper's lap as he stroked her hair. When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Ruby gave a cute yawn and sat up long enough to see if anyone agreed with her, "Ready to head back to the room?"

Yang nodded, then commented, "If Weiss and Blake didn't leave it a mess then sure." Weiss scoffed at the accusation but agreed that it was time to head back.

Jaune looked at his team, and saw they were in agreement, "I guess we all agree. Plus there isn't much left to do anyways."

The friends all got up to leave and started to walk back when Keeper got a call from Kira. Wisely taking it normally, the friends only heard his side of the conversation.

"Hey sis."

"…. No, we're just about to go back to our rooms…."

"…No, not that... For sleep. It's been a long day…"

"….I guess… let me ask her first, then we'll meet up…. Bye, love you too." Keeper hung up, and looked at Ruby. "Kira wants us to meet up with her to talk about some things. In other words, Yang blabbed to her and now it's time for you to get her version of Yang's 'don't mess with my sibling' speech."

"Better not keep her waiting Rubes. Older sisters are very protective." Yang told her with a conspirational wink. She and Kira had prepped their speeches the third day that they had set to work making Keeper and Ruby admit their feelings, so she wasn't going to let them waste all that hard work. But Keeper had invalidated most of hers, so it was up to Kira.

"Sure. We'll catch up with you guys later then. Plus we can talk about a few things." Ruby said, taking Keeper's hand and following him away from the group. He led them as the streetlights flickered on.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Keeper asked, smiling.

"Are the promise rings more than that?" She inquired. Keeper thought about her question before he realized what she was asking.

"Well, in a way, yes. I wanted a chance to meet your family before I even considered moving forward. Plus, I think if I tried anything Yang wouldn't wait for your response to knock me through the nearest destructible object." Keeper joked, covering the seriousness of his answer. Ruby's eyes widened as she understood what he was saying.

"You can meet Uncle Qrow and Dad during summer break! They'll both love meeting you!" Ruby told him, eagerly smiling at the idea.

"That would be wonderful."

They continued in silence until Ruby decided to ask, "Have you ever thought about… I dunno… the future and what it means?"

Keeper stopped walking to take both her hands in his and look into her eyes. "The future? As in us? I always thought we would have that fairytale ending someday. A 'happily ever after', you know?"

"Yes. You know that would mean… that we would… you know… get ma…" Her voice trailed off as Keeper's eyes widened at the implications of his own words. He smiled gently as she turned red, embarrassed by her inability to broach the subject.

"Married?" Keeper finished for her, letting the word sink in. Before he could answer, a scream shattered the night's quiet. The two of them reacted quickly, pulling out their weapons and running to the source of the sound.

What they saw instantly set off Keeper's anger. Kira was lying in the street, surrounded by White Fang and a much larger bull-Faunus stood over her.

"Get away from her!" Keeper snapped as he drew his pistols, opening fire as Ruby followed suit with Crescent Rose. The grunts fell under the volley as the bull deflected any bullets directed at him. "Ruby, get Kira out of here."

Keeper charged, his swords changing into his staff as more grunts jumped down from the rooftops. The two speedsters tore through the grunts, and Ruby made it to Kira in time for Keeper to meet the bull head-on. They started to fight as Ruby pulled an unconscious Kira up. She hurried as fast as she could, using her semblance and managing not to drop the much larger girl.

She made it around the corner from the fight before she set down Kira and pulled out her scroll. Ruby had just dialed Yang's number when a shot rang out, knocking her now-destroyed scroll from her hand. Turning to find the shooter, Ruby recognized the two waiting for her to turn around. A girl with mint-green hair and a boy as gray as his name stood there smiling.

"Ready for the big leagues, kid?" Emerald asked, before firing again.

* * *

Keeper knew he shouldn't be fighting so emotionally. His swings were wild and overcommitted, but it felt so right to attack like this when Kira was possibly injured by the White Fang. He finished off another wave of grunts and turned his swings back to the Bull-Faunus leader.

"Why would you attack her?" He growled to his opponent, each word punctuated by a parried strike from one of them.

"To get to you." He answered, his blade slipping past Keeper's block and cutting his chest slightly. Keeper didn't feel it as the words processed.

_They want to hurt me? But all I've done is help. They're supposed to be about Faunus equality, which they have in our cities_, he thought as they continued their duel.

_Unless it's the unrestricted trade of Dust. They were stealing all the Dust they could according to the others. They have some kind of plan, but I need to know more_, he guessed. A quick dodge backwards let his staff collapse into his swords, before he reengaged with the mysterious Faunus.

He heard a cry of pain from Ruby, making him stop his assault for a second. The Faunus capitalized on it, landing more strikes on his chest and knocking Keeper back.

Keeper felt something he had never felt before. Rage boiled in his blood, and all he could see was the Faunus that would stab him in the back if he went to check on Ruby. He activated his semblance, moving too fast to be seen as he slammed the bull from every direction in what probably felt like an instant. The Faunus collapsed, his aura drained by the flurry of attacks as the ground around him was coated with white petals.

Keeper managed to recover himself enough to notice all of the grunts that had been defeated were gone. He pulled out his scroll as he made his way to where he had heard Ruby cry out from. A quick button press later, and Yang was on the phone.

"Yang, we need back-up. We were attacked by some White Fang. Kira's down and…" Keeper's voice faltered as he saw Ruby on the ground next to his sister, "and so is Ruby. We're at…" Keeper didn't get a chance to finish the call before he felt a searing pain tear through his knees.

He screamed as he fell to the ground, his legs no longer responding to his commands. He could hear Yang yelling at him from his scroll, but he couldn't see it.

"Don't you know it was bad manners to invite extra people to a party?" A green-themed girl with blood-red eyes told him as she walked up, two small sickles red with blood. His blood. _Why does everyone go for my legs in an ambush?_

"I'm a bad house guest." He wittily retorted, dragging himself away from the slowly approaching criminal. His energy was draining to combat his blood loss, but he knew it wasn't going to be enough. Injuries this serious took time and concentration to heal, both of which he didn't have. At this point his energy was too low to shield him from anything anyways.

A heavy kick augmented by a shotgun shell hit him in the chest from out of nowhere. Keeper could feel his unprotected ribs break under the strike as a dark-gray figure now stood beside the girl. The figure's clothing looked torn up from a previous fight, and he had several cuts across his face.

"So this is the big threat to our operation? Didn't take much to break him, Emerald." He commented. Keeper pulled out his pistols, only for them to be shot out of his hands. The pain had made him too slow to respond.

"Don't make it any harder on yourself." Emerald told him. She noticed the glances Keeper gave Ruby, and smiled to herself. "Oh, is she special to you?" Her pistols turned back to their sickle form as she knelt beside the unconscious girl. But before she could do anything, a weight slammed into her.

Keeper had thrown himself at her, pulling her away from Ruby as he tried to protect her long enough for her to wake up. He threw a few punches before something grabbed his arm. He didn't have time to respond as his shoulder was wrenched out of socket and he was pulled into the air. He saw a boot before everything went black.

* * *

Mercury watched as the lovesick fool slammed into a streetlight with enough force to break it. The heavy metal pole fell on top of the boy, making sure he wasn't going to get up.

"Mission accomplished." He told Emerald as he helped her up. She looked at the two girls that were still alive. They could hear sirens wailing, drawing closer. They didn't have much time.

"Grab them. Cinder will come up with something to do with them." Emerald ordered Mercury.

* * *

Yang looked at her scroll, still panicking as she awaited the news about Keeper and Ruby. As soon as Keeper's call had been interrupted, she had called the headmaster and anyone she could get. She could only hope they weren't too late.


	17. Chapter 17

**Nightmares and Daydreams**

Yang, Neo, Weiss, and Blake all sat in Ozpin's office, waiting for news on what had happened. Ever since they reported the call from Keeper, the headmaster had kept them in his office.

"Do you think they're all right?" Neo asked, watching Yang pace in frustration at the lack of information.

"I don't know. It just sounded serious when I heard the gunfire." Yang threw up her hands in exasperation. She needed to know what happened to Ruby.

"If there is one thing I know about your sister Yang, it's that she is too tough to get beaten by a few thugs." Weiss told Yang, who slowed her pacing for a moment to listen.

Yang was about to respond when the elevator opened, letting in Ozpin and General Ironwood. The two ignored the girl's questions as they took seats of their own. Once they made it clear they weren't going to talk until everyone was settled, they stopped asking questions and Yang took a seat.

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting, but the situation tonight was only one of many incidents across Vale and other kingdoms." Ozpin started. "As you know, the White Fang has been rather silent these past few weeks as we've managed to raid many of their bases of operation in Vale, courtesy of information provided by Miss Neopolitan. We appeared to be winning against these terrorists. However tonight has proven how faulty that assumption was."

Ironwood jumped in, "In a coordinated strike, White Fang members bombed several military warehouses in Atlas, damaged the CCT tower in Mistral, and a whole slew of incidents across Vale. Including breaking out Roman Torchwick." Neo stiffened at the mention of her adopted father. "We're not blaming anyone here for the escape. Our surveillance cameras caught Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black breaking him out."

"Wait, you said they did it?" Neo asked. "Typical Cinder. Not even my dad is important enough to dirty her hands."

"But what about Ruby and Keeper?" Yang demanded, tired of the off-topic conversation.

"Temper, Miss Xiao Long." Ozpin reprimanded her before continuing, "The situation there is much more severe. The only sign of her or Miss Kira Edens were their destroyed scrolls."

"What about Keeper? I'm sure he was fighting someone."

"When they found him, the boy was bleeding from several wounds to his chest and legs. His left shoulder was completely dislocated and the other arm broken. The ligaments and tendons in both of his knees were severed. Several of his organs were ruptured and both his lungs collapsed. His ribs and spine were crushed by several close range blows and a collapsed streetlight. They suspect he is concussed on top of all of the other injuries."

"What are you saying? Is he alive or not?" Yang's hands clenched the seat enough to make it groan in protest.

"I am saying Mister Keeper is in rather dire condition. The fact that he survived long enough for medical services to arrive was a miracle, but the doctors aren't optimistic about his chances of surviving surgery."

"You don't know him like we do."

* * *

_Pain. Searing, blazing, aching, everything._

All Keeper could feel was fire when he opened his eyes. He tried to find something to look at through the harsh light, only finding shadows. He thought he could hear someone saying something, but when he tried to move, he felt something try to pin him. He flailed, lashing out at whatever he could reach. He felt cold metal and warm flesh against his burning fists, then nothing but air.

He felt something pierce his skin and then ice flowed through his veins. As the darkness started to overwhelm him, all he could think of was one thing.

_My fault._

* * *

After the meeting with Ozpin and Ironwood, everyone else went back to the room while Yang got on her motorcycle Bumblebee and raced to the hospital. Now she was sitting outside the intensive care unit that Keeper was in. They had tied him down after he had woken up during surgery and nearly attacked the team of doctors trying to save his life. The surgeons had reset his shoulder, fixed his broken arm, and stopped the bleeding, but they weren't able to do much about his legs or the broken bones that remained of his ribs and back. Miraculously, all his organs except his lungs had healed themselves, likely due to his healing ability being directed on himself. Now they just had to wait until he woke up. They expected it would only take a day before he was conscious.

_A fighter to the end_, she thought. From what she could see through the glass wall, Keeper looked like a pile of tenderized meat with a bunch of fluids and machines hooked into it. As much she wanted to find somewhere to let loose the storm of emotions she was feeling, she knew she had to be there the moment he woke up to find out what happened. Because she knew he wouldn't die, he was too stubborn for that. Not while they both knew Ruby was in trouble.

"Miss Xiao Long, there is something we need to discuss." Ozpin's voice reached her before she noticed him. Turning to the headmaster, she could tell something was about to go down.

"Of course."

"Would you mind explaining why there is a Soulless attending my school?"

* * *

Keeper's first sense of awareness to come back was his hearing. He could hear the steady drip of fluids into an IV, the wheezing of a respirator, and the rhythmic beep of a heartbeat monitor. Just beyond those he could hear hushed voices, arguing about something if he wasn't mistaken.

Cracking his eyelids open sent spikes of painful light into his brain. But it pierced the fog in his mind as he fully returned to consciousness. Turning to look at the voices was excruciating, but he managed it. He could see Yang and Ozpin through a window, clearly angry with each other.

_Have to tell them_, he thought. He tried to suck in enough air to speak, but found he couldn't. _Lungs must have collapsed again_, he surmised. Knowing time was of the essence, he tried to move. But when he did, pain blanked his mind while the heartrate monitor turned shrill.

Once he gathered his wits, he found Ozpin and Yang staring at him in disbelief.

"It seems you are destined to impress Mister Edens. Please remain calm, you need to recover." Ozpin told him. Keeper met his eyes with the angriest glare he could muster.

"Listen to him. You look worse than ground meat." Yang said, moving to his side. Keeper couldn't believe what he was hearing. Apparently Yang could see that since she told him, "Don't look at me like that. You're no good to anyone if you keep hurting yourself due to your own stubbornness."

Keeper took a second to seemingly ponder the suggestion before he gave what sounded like a cough followed by a wet sucking noise. His heartrate spiked for a moment, but quickly calmed. A hefty coughing fit seized him but he managed to not choke.

"That always hurts like hell." He told them, "Inflating your own lungs should hurt less. Especially since there's no way to heal an air pressure deficit."

"Quite talented. Miss Xiao Long, would you kindly let Keeper and I discuss some things in private?" Ozpin said. Yang looked at him, then at Keeper before slowly walking out of the room. Once he was certain she was gone, he closed the door. "I'm going to ask this only once: Why lie about being human?"

"Because I didn't want to risk becoming a science experiment or test subject. You spend enough time around humans, you get to learn something about them: They're too curious for their own good." Keeper didn't bother denying it. It wasn't worth it when there were more important things. "We both know who the real enemy is right now: The White Fang and whoever they are working for."

"Astute observation. We will continue this discussion later. The White Fang have re-emerged in several areas, targeting…"

"Targeting your military assets and anything remotely connected to my people. A bull Faunus leading the attack told me how I was the cause of their change in plans. This means what happened to Ruby and Kira are my fault. I need to…"

"You need to rest. Even with your speedy recovery, it will be days until these injuries heal. There's doubt if you'll walk again without cybernetic prosthetics. I would think someone who has survived as long as you would know the importance of patience."

"That's just it. I didn't survive because I was patient. I survived because I seized the initiative. And since it's my fault, I plan on correcting my mistake." Ozpin looked into Keeper's eyes and found steel behind them.

"Very well. We will be conducting our own search for the missing girls until you recover." Ozpin turned to leave.

He made it to the door before Keeper spoke up, "Headmaster." He stopped, looking at the boy. "I stopped being a Soulless when I met your students. I might not be fully human, but I am far more than the empty shell you fear I am." Ozpin only raised an eyebrow before he left.

Keeper sighed and shifted to try and alleviate a growing pain in his side. When the pain turned sharp in response, he reached for it, barely managing to get to the spot thanks to the straps holding him down. His fingers closed on it and brought it out. A small surgical blade greeted him, its stainless steel surface gleaming with a fresh drop of blood.

Taking the unexpected boon, Keeper managed to saw through the straps holding him down within minutes of its discovery. Keeper relaxed, freed but still incapacitated.

Looking at the blade, he mentally catalogued the injuries he could feel. His shoulder was back in place, but the muscles were still damaged. One busted up arm, (thankfully) not casted. His ribs and spine were still in pieces but at least they weren't fragments so he could move. His legs were out of commission until they could fix the internal damage (Prioritized survival over locomotion; that's emergency triage for you). His mind was a little fuzzy, but he was clearheaded enough to do most of the things he needed.

"Nothing but my body slowing me down." Keeper whispered to himself, studying the room. "This would be easier if I was still at full power. I could heal all of this without a problem and not even be weakened. But now that I'm pretty much human again, it would take too long and take too much out of me." The heartrate monitor's beeping registered in his mind as the blade caught the soft moonlight.

A plan started to coalesce in his mind. "No anesthetic and no time. This is going to be my worst idea ever." He pulled his dressing gown out of the way, and plunged the blade into his chest.

* * *

Ruby woke up to the worst headache she had ever felt in a dark unfamiliar room. She tried to rest her head in her hands, but found that they had been tied together behind her back. She tried to climb to her feet, only to find her feet had been tied together as well. Her mind started to clear as she remembered what had happened.

_Ruby had just set Kira down when Emerald and Mercury had attacked, breaking her scroll before she could call for help. The fight had been quick and furious but Ruby had been beaten and disarmed. She managed to scream for help before they knocked her out._

She felt some satisfaction knowing she had actually managed to take out Mercury before she had been defeated. She started to study the room she was trapped in, looking for anything to help her escape. It looked like an oversized storage closet, heavy filing cabinets taking up all of the area around the walls. Other than a single door, Ruby couldn't see any exit. Not a window, air vent, or other convenient place to escape from.

The door opening quickly got her attention since it spilled more light into the room. A figure stood silhouetted against the bright light until a momentary buzz gave way to an overhead light flickering on, dispelling the shadows forming the silhouette.

"Well, well, well… If it isn't Red." Roman smiled down at her, jauntily spinning his cane. "This is why you shouldn't be out past your bedtime."

"You were in jail." Ruby stated, mind numbed by the arrival of the master criminal.

"But now I'm out. No thanks to you or the rest of your sorority." He lit a cigar, his smile turning dark. "And they're not here to help you."

"Where's Kira? And Keeper?" Ruby asked, dread filling her.

"Oh don't worry about Miss Copper Curls, she's getting ransomed back to her little community of closet crazies. You should be worried about what's going to happen to you."

* * *

Keeper kept biting on his tongue, holding back the screams of pain as he pulled the blade out of the incision he had carved into himself. He could feel pain and blood loss trying to steal away consciousness, but he fought against it and the desire to heal himself. The heartrate monitor should have been going crazy, but he had managed to make it loop a normal heartbeat. For the moment.

Tossing aside the bloody piece of metal, Keeper reached into himself and let his fingers close around a slick, hard object riddled with cracks. Securing it in his grip, he squeezed.

This time biting his tongue did nothing to stop the waves of agony that washed over as it felt like everything within him had caught fire, been electrocuted, and flashfrozen at the same time.

The heartrate monitor next to him went from beeping to silent as his hand slipped out of his chest, trailing blood across his skin, gown, and sheets.

* * *

Roman kicked her in the ribs again, making her grunt in pain. He stepped back, his anger being suppressed now that he had vented.

"Wait 'til Keeper gets here. He'll put you back where you belong." Ruby boasted, knowing he would come with everything and everyone he could.

Roman's eyes widened as his voice started to quiver, "Oh no, your little boyfriend is going to come and kick my ass!" His tone turned from sarcastic to smug, "If you're referring to the silver-dyed idiot you were with, you're going to be waiting a long time. Mercury and Emerald made sure he was in pieces before they left."

"You mean…" Ruby's voice failed her. The idea was too horrible to say out loud.

"Dead? Yep. Such a shame too, but that's young love. One moment, it's there; the next, you're both dead."

* * *

The nurses of the ICU managed to force open the door to Keeper's room, trying to find out what had happened. The heartrate monitor had flat-lined and the door to the room had been blocked. No one could see in the window since it was covered by the remains of a dressing gown. They pushed past the barricade that had prevented their access to find a very bloody and very empty bed.

"Call the headmaster." One of them told the others, looking at the broken window.

* * *

The night was his. Its silence, its darkness welcomed him into its grasp when he began his hunt. He would find what he was searching for. Even if it meant destroying this city to do it.

* * *

Ruby sat in the room, alone with nothing but her thoughts.

_Keeper died_. But that was impossible. He was tougher than anyone she had ever met. _Roman lied_. That had to be it. _But why lie?_ Some fearful side of her wondered.

She heard something on the other side of the door. When she heard someone fumbling with the doorknob, Ruby turned to face it. The door opened to reveal Kira, her clothes torn and bloody but her eyes burned with righteous fury.

"Ruby! Thank God!" She said, swiftly crossing to the younger girl and she started to untie the ropes binding the younger girl.

"How did you get out?" Ruby asked, surprised by the rescue. Kira soon had the ropes untied and helped Ruby to her feet.

"There's always a flaw to a plan." Kira told her, leading her out of the room.

* * *

Yang ended her call from Ozpin, and looked at her teammates.

"Get everyone. Keeper's loose in the city. We find him, we find Ruby and those bastards who kidnapped her." Yang told them, strapping on Ember Celica. She couldn't help but smile when Weiss and Blake nodded.

* * *

His mist crawled through the city, invading every street, every corner, and every building in its search. He could feel everything his mist touched, giving him total knowledge of his expanding territory.

_When I find what they stole, it will be mine_.

* * *

Roman hummed softly as he headed back to check on Red. He couldn't help but smile until he felt something distinctly cold and slimy roll across his ankles. Looking down in disgust, he was confused to find a purple mist crawling across the ground.

"What the fuck is this?" He asked out loud, though no one was around to hear him.

* * *

Ruby and Kira had moved out of the warehouse's offices and onto the main floor. They hid behind a large container of Dust, waiting for a chance to keep moving.

A scream of fury reached their ears, telling them Roman had found out they had escaped.

"Attention mutts, our prisoners are loose. So I suggest you FUCKING FIND THEM!" He yelled at the White Fang using an announcement system.

They could hear the White Fang start their search only for the noises to switch to those of confusion and disgust. Risking a look from their hiding spot, they saw a purple mist crawling across the floor. The mist seemed almost alive, rolling in uneven waves as it appeared to be searching for something. The mist reached their hiding spot, and touched their feet. The mist stopped its advance, coalescing as if it was unsure what it was touching. Then it retreated, rolling backwards over itself with unnatural haste.

The two girls looked up in time for a dozen weapons to be pointed at them.

"Found them!"

* * *

He pulled his mist back as he loped through the dead streets. He knew exactly where it was. And how many prey stood between him and his prize.

* * *

Yang led the amalgam group of friends through the streets, chasing the purple mist while it raced ahead of them. Looking back, she could see Weiss and Blake were the closest to her, followed by Neo and then Jaune and his team.

_Keeper better be leading us to the right place._ She thought to herself as she rounded another corner, keeping the mist in sight.

* * *

Ruby and Kira were tied up again, this time guarded as Roman, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury stood on a walkway above them.

"Nice try Copper Curls. You should have just cut your losses and ran." Roman said, shaking his head at Kira. "But you had to be a hero."

"Now, what do we do with the little girl? Copper Curls is worth too much alive." Emerald asked, drawing her pistols.

"We'll take care of her soon enough." Cinder answered, "But first we need to figure out how much information they got from Neo."

"Nothing like a little payback." Roman commented, his eyes narrowing menacingly as he focused on Ruby, "A fair trade of a little girl for another. Plus interest."

Ruby's attempt to reply was cut off by the sound of rending metal filling the air. Everyone turned to look at the source of the noise, a large hole that had been torn in the warehouse wall. Purple mist hung in the gap as a shadowy figure stepped through the hole. A pair of unblinking red eyes glowed from the mist, scanning the warehouse.

"What on Remnant is that?" One of the White Fang asked, watching as more of the mist seemed to pour off of the figure to roll across the floor.

"One way to find out." Mercury said, throwing a green Dust crystal at it. Emerald waited until the crystal was close enough before shooting it.

The gust of wind that was released pushed away the mist, revealing a humanoid figure of pure shadow, excluding its red eyes and a white domino mask covered in red lines. Its silver hair was awash with crimson red blood. It smiled, a mouthful of gleaming fangs appearing against the blackness that was its body.

"Kill it!" Roman ordered them. The White Fang with guns opened fire as their close-range members advanced. The mist reformed in front of the creature, swallowing the bullets while only its eyes remained visible. Once they were in range, the White Fang grunts jumped into the mist, ready to attack the intruder. All they heard were screams as their silhouettes vanished. For a second, all they could hear was a slight dripping before it faded.

The creature stepped forward and out of the mist when the White Fang stopped shooting. Its eyes fixed themselves on the four standing above it.

"You took what was mine. I'm here to take it back." Its voice terrifyingly familiar, backed by a vicious echoing chorus of Grimm calls distorting it. The four stood in silence as Ruby recognized the voice.

"Keeper?" She asked, not believing her eyes.

* * *

He heard the red-cloaked girl say something. It sounded like a name, but names meant nothing to him. Only taking back what was stolen mattered any more.

* * *

Roman looked at the stunned White Fang and shouted, "Don't just stand there. Kill it!" They opened fire again, but unlike the first time no mist rose to swallow their bullets. Holes opened in the creature, blood and mist spilling from them before they closed up like they had never happened.

"You can't kill death." A savage grin grew on the creature's face, made more menacing by the now pink-stained fangs it had. It vanished as black flower petals coated the ground. The White Fang on the floor found themselves floating in the air before being reintroduced to the ground with enough force to crack the concrete.

The creature reappeared in its earlier spot, looking at the four remaining enemies. Cinder knew when she needed to retreat and the Grimmling in front of her presented a good enough reason to put that into practice.

"Emerald, Mercury, Roman. Take care of this… thing." She ordered them. Emerald and Mercury grimaced before jumping down, still following her orders despite their instinctive fear.

"Well, there goes the deposit on this place." Roman muttered before descending by the stairs. Kira seized on the moment to push herself and Ruby to a spot where they could see everything and still be safe. Cinder merely walked away, leaving her henchmen to do their jobs.

* * *

Emerald and Roman opened fire, only for the creature's mist to rise up and absorb the attacks.

"Are you gonna fight like a cowardly Grimm or a man?" Emerald asked, looking at their opponent while the mist dissipated.

"Why does it matter how I fight? You'll be dead when I'm done with you." He replied, shoulders rising in a shrug as it threw its arms wide.

Mercury literally leapt at the opening, kicking furiously as the creature dodged with ease. Eventually it reached out, grabbing him by the boot. Mercury tried to kick at its head before it threw him back at Emerald and Roman. He landed roughly, but managed to avoid running into his allies.

Emerald switched to her sickles as she, Roman, and Mercury charged in. The creature dodged and moved around their strikes, making each attack look successful before proving it wasn't. After some time, the creature caught Mercury's leg at the knee and smashed the joint with enough force to reverse it. He screamed in pain when he was tossed out of the fight and warehouse in a single move.

* * *

Ruby watched the melee as Kira finished untying them.

"What happened to Keeper?" She asked his sister.

Kira shook her head, "That's not Keeper anymore. That's a Grimm."

Ruby looked back to the creature, feelings and training instincts at odds as she watched it continue to fight.

* * *

Emerald looked at the creature as they disengaged again. Something told her it was toying with them, like Cinder always did to Roman. This was all for its enjoyment, and they already knew what it wanted.

It surged forward, moving past her defenses to wrap its hand around her throat with an iron grip. She tried to claw at the fingers closed around her throat as her air ran out, but it did nothing.

Roman saw what was happening and made the smart decision to live to fight another day. "Well, that's my cue to exit." With a smile and tip of his hat he ran out of the warehouse, leaving Emerald to her fate.

Emerald could see the black spots edging into her vision while the fanged smile grew on her opponent's face.

"Stop!"

* * *

Ruby stepped closer as Grimm Keeper's head turned to face her. She saw the evil smile fade as he squinted in concentration. He dropped Emerald, fully turning to Ruby. The pickpocket barely had a time to gasp for air before Kira kicked her in the head, knocking her out.

"R…R….Ruby." He said, seeming unsure of himself. His red eyes flickered to their normal form before changing back. He didn't seem to notice Kira standing within arms' reach of him.

"Yes. Keeper, whatever is happening… Fight it. Come back to me." Ruby pleaded, stepping within grabbing range of Grimm Keeper. Kira tensed on his other side, watching the exchange with a critical eye.

"Don't come closer." He told her, raising a hand while his fingertips grew purple claws that faded just as quickly as they appeared.

"You said heroes don't fight alone. So fight with me. Beat this." Ruby held her hand up to his. When their palms touched, Ruby felt the cold emanating from his flesh until he jerked his hand back.

"Ruby." He shook his head, his eyes becoming clear again as they met hers, "I can't control it. The Energy, the darkness… it's in me. Run before I can't hold it back anymore."

"No." She told him flatly, stepping close enough to put a hand on his chest. She couldn't feel his heartbeat under her fingers as she had so many times before, her hand cooling against the icy flesh.

"Ruby." Keeper felt tears reach his eyes as the thoughts surfaced. _Kill her! Her light is too bright! Kill her!_ Keeper felt his hand cover hers, drawing the warmth from her skin into him. Everything in him wanted to consume her and leave nothing but memories behind. But he couldn't do that, his love for her was fighting with its own orders. _Protect her! Leave before you lose control! Hurry!_

He reached out for her face, cupping it while he looked into her eyes. She didn't flinch as his ice-cold hand rested on her cheek. Ruby could see the war in his eyes, and knew she had to do something.

"Ruby, you broke his Soulless nature before. Try doing it again." Kira recommended, carefully picking up Emerald's sickles. She wanted to be ready in case it didn't work. Keeper wouldn't want to live that way and Kira wasn't going to let him suffer.

Ruby tried to think of what Keeper had told her had changed him. She remembered the greenhouse, his trust in her.

"I love you Keeper. Don't you dare give up on me." She stepped closer, putting her hands to his face. He groaned and sunk to his knees, hugging himself as his whole body shook. He gave a low moan as Ruby knelt down next to him.

"It hurts Ruby. It hurts so much." His voice was small, the ferocious echo gone. "Make it go away."

Ruby's eyes met Kira's and the older girl nodded and readied the sickles just in case.

"A kiss always makes it better." Ruby told him, cupping his face. She could see the pain in his eyes before she closed her own. She kissed him, letting the cold wash over her. Keeper held still for a second before pulling back. Ruby opened her eyes as Keeper grabbed his head, falling onto his back with a howl of pain. Mist poured off of him again, engulfing him entirely. They couldn't see more than his silhouette as he writhed and groaned in pain.

* * *

Yang was the first to see the damaged warehouse. It looked like something had decided to take a bite out of its wall with no respect for the crusts. But it was only made worse by the splashes of blood painting it along with the lack of bodies.

A familiar bowler hat emerged from the hole, clearly fleeing something. Yang chambered a round on the fly and fired at Roman. He looked up just in time to dodge it, the blast propelling him into a roll.

"Great. Isn't this a school night or something?" He yelled at the teens, only to stop his planned insults as his eyes settled on Neo. "Dearie?" Neo stiffened at the pet name he had given her as he sunk to his knees. Roman looked too stunned to respond when Blake charged forward, intent on taking down the criminal mastermind. But Yang tackled her, surprising everyone else. The two wrestled as Neo and Roman stared each other down.

"Daddy why?" Neo spoke, and they could see actual tears start to run down his face.

A primal howl of pain made them turn to the warehouse. When they looked back, Roman was gone.

"Let's see what made him run this time." Weiss suggested, leading everyone else away while Yang and Neo lingered.

"This is totally fucked up in so many ways." Neo told her girlfriend.

"We'll figure this out. Let's make sure they're all still safe before we find something to kick the shit out of to vent." Yang told her, pulling her towards the warehouse.

* * *

Ruby and Kira watched as the silhouette stilled and the mist started to dissipate. Keeper sat up, a look of confusion on his face.

"What the-? Ruby, when did you get…here? Where are we?" He asked as he tried to shake his head clear. He wasn't sure why his memory was acting up more than usual.

"What do you remember?" Kira asked, while checking to make sure Emerald was still on the ground. She was still unconscious, defeated by the fashion designer.

"We went to meet up with you, but there was an ambush. You two got caught and I woke up in the hospital. Then there was a lot of pain and now I'm here." Keeper looked around the warehouse, trying to place it._ Did I see this place on one of my morning runs? It's familiar._

"You saved us." Ruby told him, helping him to his feet. But he still seemed confused and looked into her eyes for any clues. He didn't find any in the silver pools.

"But how?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Looks like you don't really need our help after all." The three turned to see Yang and everyone else standing near the hole in the wall. But Team JNPR was turned around, clearly trying not to look at something inside. "Though Keeper might want some clothes." Blake suggested. It took a second before he looked down.

All he had on was his underwear. He moved too fast to be seen, hiding behind a crate. "Someone get me some pants!"

"At least we know you could pull off being an underwear model if this Grimm fighting thing falls through." Yang said before receiving a poke in the ribs from Neo.

"Yang!" Weiss and Blake only shook their heads at Yang's comment. But at least everyone was safe.

* * *

After Kira managed to find an old set of clothing for Keeper in the warehouse and Ruby found Crescent Rose, everyone waited for Ozpin to send a team from Ironwood to scour and secure the place. Emerald was still unconscious and was now tied up to prevent her from escaping, completing the neutralization of the White Fang hideout.

"So do you want to let us know how you did that?" Weiss asked, pointing to the hole in the warehouse.

"I don't remember." Keeper admitted, tugging at the rough wool shirt he was wearing. The heavy cargo pants weren't much better in his opinion, but at least he was publicly decent.

"How do you not remember tearing through a whole building?" Jaune asked, wondering if the metal was completely gone or in pieces back in the warehouse. A quick look confirmed it was curled back like burning paper.

"Maybe he stood too close when he blew it open! That happens to me sometimes!" Nora suggested, looking at Ren who just sighed and nodded in confirmation.

"The better question is how did he heal up so fast? He looked like hamburger when I saw him in the hospital." Yang asked, noting Ruby was avoiding looking at her or Keeper. _She saw something she doesn't want to talk about_, she knew her sister well enough to understand that.

"Healing ability? Honestly I don't know. I don't really remember much in the hospital other than you and Ozpin and something about taking initiative." Keeper explained, wondering what was taking so long for back-up to arrive.

"You've never been an angry person but you are very protective." Kira stated, "Maybe you got so angry that you blacked out and that's why you don't remember." Keeper thought about it as Yang studied Kira. The girl was always fairly open and relaxed, but now she was tenser than a wire. _She did get kidnapped. But she's free right now, so what is it? What are the two of them hiding?_

"Yang, can we talk about something?" Blake's voice broke the blonde's musings.

"Huh? Sure." She told her partner as they stepped away from the group.

"Why did you stop me from catching Torchwick?" Blake grabbed Yang's shoulders, looking her straight in the eye.

"He looked broken when he saw Neo. Like he hadn't known what had happened to her." Yang responded.

"That's not good enough. You know what he's done!"

"Yes I do. But what if we captured him again? Cinder breaks him out later and we still won't know more. Look what happened with Neo. She came willingly and helped us more than any amount of interrogation would have."

"That's beside the point."

"No it isn't Blake. Everyone deserves a second chance. You of all people should know that." Blake seemed rather irritated by Yang's response but her reply was cut off by a retching sound. Keeper was doubled over, blood dripping from his mouth into a pool of red-tinted vomit at his bare feet.

Ruby rubbed his back as he heaved again, adding more blood to the pool at his feet.

"I think I need to go back to the hospital." He told them, pale face shivering.

* * *

Once a security team arrived and started to set up, the group was allowed to leave. Keeper was sent back to the hospital for some tests while everyone else was debriefed. Emerald was taken to Ironwood to be locked up on charges of kidnapping and espionage.

The teams scattered back to their rooms, Kira going with Neo back to the Keeper dorm for additional protection.

Once the whole of Team RWBY was inside their room, Yang grabbed Ruby by the shoulders and sat her down.

"No secrets, remember? Now spill. What the hell happened at the warehouse?" She forcibly ordered her sister.

"Keeper showed up, kicked butt, and saved us. End of story." Ruby told her, clearly holding something back.

"I don't think so. Keeper can heal a lot of things given some time, but he was messed up in every sense of the word when I saw him. He couldn't stand or breathe on his own minutes before he escaped. Something happened."

"He managed to call up some of his old power?" Ruby tried. The impassive expressions she found told her it hadn't worked.

She slumped in the seat, knowing she couldn't deny it for much longer. "Keeper turned into a Grimm. I don't know how, but it was the scariest thing I've ever seen. It was him, but it wasn't him at the same time. He said it was because of his Soulless power going out of control."

"That's impossible. Nothing can change people into Grimm, much less back as well." Blake said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"But Keeper isn't exactly a person in the traditional sense. In the end he is still a Soulless. He isn't human or Faunus and he doesn't have an actual aura or soul." Weiss pointed out.

"Maybe that's why they're soulless. They take in the energy of slain Grimm and maybe it… I don't know… poisons their bodies and minds, so they put stone around their hearts to maintain some humanity?" Yang guessed.

"The only one who would have any idea isn't here." Blake reminded them.

* * *

Keeper sat in the hospital bed, glad they only wanted to observe him this time. After they had gotten all of the blood out of his stomach, he had been fine. A knock on the open door heralded the arrival of Ozpin, bearing a bag with a change of clothes for him.

"Are you ready to finish our previous discussion?" Ozpin asked, blank expression hiding any emotion.

"Sure." Keeper told him. He would have preferred to get his clothes and leave but it looked like it was time for questions.

"You said you didn't want to be a science experiment, yet here you are: Fully healed and healthy enough to leave when mere hours ago you were on death's door. Imagine if you…"

"Imagine living thousands of years, knowing the day you make a friend or connection to someone you're just leading them on because when they're nothing but a faded memory, you'll still be the same as back then. No thanks, no acknowledgements, no memories of your past life, nothing to fill the empty void where your soul was other than a promise that someday it will end when you die. That's what being a Soulless means. It means being nothing more than being a weapon passed down through the generations that happens to talk and remember until you are broken and cast aside as dust. That is me." Keeper told him, his voice cold and breaking. Ozpin thought he was going to cry, but Keeper forced them back.

Ozpin watched as Keeper drew in a breath, his gaze turning to steel as he met Ozpin's eyes. "And now? You told me you weren't Soulless anymore."

"I'm not. My heart beats within a broken cage of stone. Time actually means something to me. The power I once wielded has diminished to little more than a shadow of an aura. I might as well be human. And I have never felt more convicted to fight to protect what is." Keeper's mouth turned up at the corners slightly, "An old mentor told me that the reason life was special was it came to an end. And now that the end of this marathon I've been running is in sight? I know nothing that could be truer."

Ozpin looked at Keeper, a slight smile of his own growing. "I'm glad we had this talk. Don't forget to rest. You have a tournament to finish on Wednesday." He left Keeper, who was wondering what the headmaster's intentions were.

* * *

Roman took another drag on his cigar, questioning a lot of what Cinder had told him. Particularly how Neo had been killed by those brats after she tried to get revenge for his capture. Which didn't explain the pink with white streaks and brown haired girl who had spoken to him outside the warehouse. Or that face he could never forget as long as he lived.

"Her voice. As sweet as I imagined." He whispered into the wind. Years of raising that little girl he had found, and he had been convinced she was gone based off of Cinder's words? He should have known better.

_A broken window. A little girl's whimper. The pungent odor of decay. _Roman crushed the memories, swearing softly as the traumas faded back where they belonged.

"Something's not adding up and I'm going to figure it out." He told himself.

* * *

Tuesday morning rolled around, and everyone stayed in bed until midday. When they reconvened at their usual lunch table, no one looked their best. Team JNPR simply looked exhausted from the late night chase, which wasn't unusual for them except Ren. Yang, Weiss, and Blake looked like they hadn't slept at all. Neo looked like she had spent the entire night crying, judging by her reddened and puffy eyes.

But looking the worst looking had to be Kira and Ruby. If someone tried to describe them in a single word, it would be haunted. Both had dark circles under their eyes, and were clearly nervous about something. Kira managed to wave it off as shock from the kidnapping, but everyone could tell something wasn't right with Ruby.

"I spend one night away and you give up my seat?" Keeper's voice made them turn to face the boy as he walked in. He smiled and waved at everyone, receiving tired waves from Jaune's team and Neo and peculiar looks from the others.

"Did I forget to put on pants?" He asked as he slid into a seat next to Neo. She gave him a quick friendly hug for recovering before returning her focus to her food. He cast his eyes around the table, his natural cheer slowly catching as Nora started to tell everyone about her dream last night as Ren translated and corrected. Jaune offered his quirky smile as Pyrrha held his hand. But Team RWBY didn't seem to catch on.

Yang looked him straight in the eye, "We need to talk. Back in the dorms. Right now." Keeper's smile died as he knew this wasn't going to be good. The team plus their requested guest stood up, quickly shuffling out of the cafeteria.

Neo looked at Kira, "Was it that bad?"

Kira shook her head. "I don't think I can see my little brother the same way again after that."

Jaune turned to face them, "What are you talking about?"

"Just never let Keeper reach his breaking point. They broke him last night."

* * *

"To hell with that. We need to get her back!" Roman shouted at Cinder, slamming his fist into the table.

Cinder seemed unfazed by the outburst, but held up her hand to stop Mercury from making a move on the master criminal.

"You are understandably distraught. But we do not have the resources right now, thanks to your failure to defeat the creature last night." She told them, her calm tome at odds with the hidden malice in her eyes.

"This is Neo we're talking about! She's a 'resource' that could help us get back to the plan. Which you still haven't filled me in on." He reminded her. There was a certain stench catching itself in Roman's nose, and it wasn't his cigar.

* * *

Keeper found himself shoved quickly into a chair. Yang stepped forward as Keeper leaned as far back as possible.

"You say that your powers comes from the Grimm you've killed. How?" Yang asked, staring at him with an intensity that he felt giving him a sunburn.

"How what?" He questioned, only to be slammed against the wall. Keeper had never seen this side of Yang. And he had preferred it that way.

"How did you go Grimm?" Her eyes blazed as her hair started to sizzle.

Keeper took a second before answering, "Are you nuts? I was literally crafted to kill Grimm."

Ruby stepped up, her haunted eyes meeting his. A sick feeling settled inside his chest as she started to speak. "Last night you… you weren't yourself. Something was wrong. You were as black as a Grimm and even had one of their bony masks. You were going to kill all of them."

Keeper tried to process what she was saying. "I'm not understanding. Are you saying I honestly…. became a Grimm?"

"The dunce finally figures it out." Weiss replied. The way Ruby had described it, none of them had been able to sleep after hearing the story. Nightmarish visions had plagued them all until the sun had risen.

"What the hell is wrong with all of you? I'm not a Grimm! I'm me!" Keeper said, trying to push off the wall only for Yang to pin him by the throat. He gurgled for a second before Yang eased up enough for him to breathe.

"How can we be sure? You could just be a Grimm in hiding, waiting for a chance to kill us all in our sleep." Yang said, aura heating up.

Keeper's expression turned angry, "Very well. How do I prove I'm me?" The girls froze, realizing they didn't actually have a plan. "Oh, this is brilliant. Weiss, I thought you and Blake were the academics here. Having no way to test this seems…dunce-ish for you."

"He's got a point. We didn't really think this through." Blake muttered. They knew they had needed to confront this problem, but they hadn't planned anything else.

"We could do the blood test." Ruby suggested, turning everyone's heads to her. "Just a suggestion."

"What is she talking about?" Keeper asked, slightly worried as Blake drew Gambol Shroud's actual blade.

"Grimm's blood is a natural poison to humans. If it mixes with their blood, they start to boil. So Ruby's suggesting we take a little of your blood for testing against someone else's." She stepped forward, resting the edge in his palm. A quick draw and blood welled up in his palm and across the blade. He hissed and clenched his hand, stifling the blood flow from the hand-spanning cut.

"When I get down, don't expect hugs and smiles." Keeper tersely warned them. Weiss stepped back as Yang pressed Keeper harder into the wall.

Ruby pulled out the small dagger that attached to the far end of Crescent Rose and quickly followed suit. Blake held out Gambol Shroud and Ruby let her blood drip onto Keeper's blood. They waited for a second before nodding to Yang. She dropped him, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Yang pulled Keeper up, a rather surly expression on his face.

He walked over to Ruby and pressed his uncut hand over hers. A quick use of healing power and her cut disappeared as if it never happened. He left the room without a word, his own hand still dripping blood.

"Well that was pretty screwed up of us." Blake summarized.

"How long do you think he'll be mad?" Ruby asked, worried that she might have driven him away.

"I highly doubt he's mad at you. The rest of us will have to wait and see." Weiss told her.

"I'm sure he would forgive us if you ask him to. He's whipped like that." Yang mentioned. Weiss and Blake rolled their eyes at the comment as Ruby did her best to ignore it.

"I'll go check on him." Ruby told them, quickly leaving to outrun her guilt.

* * *

"Dearie, what happened?" Roman asked as he looked out across the city. "What drove you to them?"

_A little girl clings to his leg, her pink and brown eyes full of tears as she holds up a broken toy. He smiles and puts it aside to kiss her forehead, reassuring her that he isn't mad._

If anyone saw Roman crying right now, he would flat-out kill them.

* * *

After literally running into Jaune and taking the time to assure him that everything was fine, Ruby made it to Keeper's dorm. A quick test of the doorknob told her it was locked, so she decided to try knocking. After pounding on the door for several minutes, she turned to leave when she heard the click of the lock.

She tried the door again and this time it opened into the darkened room. Keeper was sitting on his bed with his eyes closed and a pair of oversized headphones on. Wondering if he had been the one to unlock the door, she sat next to him on his bed. If he noticed the shift in the weight, he didn't show it. She sat in silence as she listened to the rhythm of his breathing, wondering what she should do.

"I'll have to find some way to deal with the Grimm blood in the mixture if I want to finish the reversion. With that neutralized, the heart-stones could be safely cracked, returning us to our original states. We could be humans and Faunus again." Keeper thought out loud, making Ruby jump. She listened as he continued, "But the problem is how to neutralize it. It can't be extracted or filtered out since it's literally the blood in our veins. It would have to be a biological response. Maybe some kind of targeted virus? I need to figure this out. I can't have everyone in danger."

Deciding it might be better to let Keeper think in peace, Ruby stood up only for a hand to grab hers. She looked back at Keeper, whose eyes were open and red from crying, she noted. Using his other hand to push his headphones to sit around his neck, he stood up beside her. She could hear the familiar chorus of _Sacrifice _being sung by Casey Lee Williams emanating from the headphones.

"Ruby, I'm sorry about how I acted earlier. It was unbecoming of me. You were right to be worried." He told her, looking downward.

"No. You were right. We should have trusted you." Ruby told him, leaning forward so she could smile into his downcast eyes.

"Trusting a monster is a little hard to do." Keeper gave a small laugh at his own joke.

"The only thing that turns you into a monster is a batch of fresh cookies." Ruby declared, kissing his nose. He smiled before returning the gesture. Keeper then turned his attention a little south, kissing her properly with his usual tenderness.

They broke the kiss off when a shrill timer sounded. Keeper looked down at his scroll and turned off the alarm.

"Speaking of that. Want to go get the batch that just finished cooking? Cookies always help me…. Think." Keeper's last word was only heard by the walls. He activated his semblance, following the trail of rose petals out of his room and straight to the heavenly scent of fresh cookies.

* * *

At dinner that night, everyone seemed much more cheerful than they were at lunch. Ruby and Keeper were holding hands and feeding each other bits of cookie as Yang tried to stop Neo from eating her ice cream dessert before Yang got some for herself. Blake and Weiss just watched as the paired sweet fiends and their respective girlfriends enjoyed their desserts and each other's company, not sure how they had ended up on a team with them. Pyrrha did her best to make sure Jaune remembered to breathe as he forgot how to chew for the duration of the Taco Tuesday dinner. Nora simply batted at Ren's ponytail while he read a textbook, making them both grin at the simple swishing of his long hair.

After everyone finished eating, they cheerfully called it a night with the finals of the tournament the next day. Keeper followed Team RWBY to their dorm, a small duffel under his arm as Yang took her own bag towards the Keeper dorm.

* * *

Roman stared at the computer screen in front of him, typing as he did his best to recall the hacking lessons a friend has given him.

_A twelve-year old Neo looks up from the gift box to Roman, her eyes wide and smile even wider. Roman couldn't stop his own smile as she pulled out the parasol. She twirled it, marveling at the light fabric. She put it down and hugged him. Roman took a second before returning the hug._

He was going to find out what happened, even if it killed him.

* * *

**Notes: So yeah, Soulless are actually Grimm. Sort of. If you can guess what mange/anime that they draw that inspiration from... invisible strawberries and cookies for you.**

**Boy this is getting layered and complex.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Finals and Freak-outs**

Wednesday came too early for the dorm as Ruby's alarm went off. Weiss and Blake refused to believe what time it was, and in deference to the idea, pulled pillows over their heads.

"Rise and shine everyone!" Ruby's jubilant singing went straight through the makeshift earmuffs. She rolled over her boyfriend and hopped down to turn off the alarm.

"Why didn't you just poke Keeper awake? He's the only one that actually needs to be ready for today." Weiss complained.

"Because a gentleman always lets the ladies go first." Came his sarcastic reply as he hopped down, already dressed for the day. When and why he was already dressed were questions for people that didn't want to keep sleeping, so Weiss and Blake ignored it.

"Now I know why Yang went to Neo's room. Among other reasons." Blake mumbled to no one in particular. She saw what Yang had packed last night and it wasn't clothing for the next day.

"Well it could have been Ruby and I all alone in my dorm." Keeper told them as Ruby dashed into the bathroom to start her morning.

"I'll take the alarm over that mental image." Weiss declared. Eventually Ruby came out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go for the day.

She crossed her arms as she noticed her two teammates still sitting in bed. "C'mon, it's the finals today and Keeper is still in the tournament."

Weiss rolled her eyes while Blake got out of bed and grabbed her clothes to change. "When you put it that way, no." Weiss told her as she pulled her sheets back over her head. Ruby pouted next to Keeper as Blake finished up in the bathroom.

Ruby started to pull out her whistle, only for Keeper to take it from her. When she looked at him with confusion, he smiled and passed her and Blake several sets of ear plugs, including a special set for Blake's cat ears. The girls knew what was coming when Keeper reached into his duffel and withdrew a plaid cloth bag with several pipes sticking out of it.

"Can't do this with Neo, so I've been waiting for the chance to do it one last time." He told them as he made sure they had their ear protection on. Two nods later, he started to play the infernal instrument.

The bagpipes wheezed and bellowed and Weiss bolted out of her bed in an attempt to escape the noise. Too confused and terrified to think, Weiss turned towards the bathroom as her safe haven. Once she ran into the bathroom, Keeper stopped playing. Signaling to Ruby and Blake it was safe, they took out the ear plugs.

"That music was so terrible, I felt it in my stomach." Blake told him.

"That's why you play the bagpipes after you eat breakfast; keeps your stomach from curdling." Keeper replied as Weiss ducked out to see if the coast was clear. Keeper's smug grin only grew as Ruby threw Weiss's clothes to her.

"Now get dressed or he keeps playing!" She ordered, and Weiss snapped to follow it.

"I'm on to you two now. The little innocent act won't fool me anymore." Blake told them while Keeper set down the bagpipes and held Ruby's hand, earning a light giggle from her.

Once Weiss was ready, the four turned to leave only to meet Nora on the other side of the door, holding her own set of bagpipes. The sight was only made more bizarre by the fact that she was wearing a plaid kilt and a black sheepskin vest over a wool shirt.

"Awww, I thought I was in for a bagpipe duel." Nora glumly said as she realized they weren't wearing the standard garb of bagpipe music battles. "Rennnn! I'm going to need extra pancakes this morning!"

"Oh come on!" He yelled from his dorm. He had just put his special mix away and had started to clean the bowls.

* * *

Ruby and Keeper were walking through the town, killing time until the quarter-finals were going to start. They weren't really paying attention as they turned a corner and bumped into someone. The three of them fell down in a pile of limbs, trying to recover. Once Keeper got free, he tugged Ruby to her feet and looked at who they had run into.

"Penny?" Ruby asked, helping the robot girl up. Penny smiled at Ruby and pulled her into a tight hug after recognizing the red reaper.

"Hello friend Ruby! It has been some time since we last interacted, so may we commence the act of 'catching up'?" She eagerly stated as she let go of Ruby. Keeper's eyes were wide open in shock at Penny's zealousness.

"You know this girl Ruby?"

"Of course. Keeper, this is my friend Penny. Penny, this is my boyfriend Keeper." She introduced them. Keeper stuck out his hand as Penny stared at him.

"You look like my secret friend." She told him, before shaking his limp hand. Keeper's eyes bugged as he looked to Ruby for confirmation. She had also caught what Penny had said.

"Wait, you know someone that looks like me?" Keeper questioned.

Penny immediately went on the defensive, "No." She hiccupped. "I don't know anyone that looks like you." She hiccupped again. "I have to go." She turned and ran into a shadowy alley. Ruby and Keeper ran after her, only to find the alley empty of anyone with no exit.

"Where did she go?" Keeper asked.

"She does this sometimes. You just learn to accept it." Ruby told him, then looked at the time. "Oh man, we need to get over to the stadium!" She grabbed Keeper's hand, dragging him away from the alley.

"Why was she so strange?" He asked, getting his feet under him as Ruby picked up her pace. She explained how Penny was actually a robot girl and how she had met her. "You really do collect strays." She punched him in the shoulder.

* * *

Everyone was already at the stadium, ready to cheer on their two friends in the final fights. Each match was going to be done separately, ensuring no one missed any of the action. Pyrrha was in the first match, facing a guy with a weapon combination similar to Blake's, using a chain with a weight on it instead of a ribbon. As they waited for the match to start, they looked at the brackets.

"So the only way I fight Pyrrha is if I make it to the finals. So that's a bridge to cross later. I'll either have to fight this Aurum Falkos or Isabella Iaeyeuiarta… how do you even try to pronounce that?... depending on who wins. But first up, I have to face Ina Marigold." Keeper read off of his scroll.

"But what about Pyrrha's opponents?' Jaune asked, his eyes glued to the arena where his girlfriend stood waiting.

"I was getting there….. So this guy's name is Lilo Chartreuse, which is a cool name. Then she's either fighting Jade Quartz or… Penny? Isn't she that friend of yours we just ran into earlier? Like, literally ran into?" Keeper looked at Ruby.

"PENNY? How could we have missed her fighting?" Ruby shouted in excitement, "This is too AWESOME! I…. wait… Aww man, I can't root for Penny if she's fighting Pyrrha. Who am I supposed to cheer for then?"

"Don't worry sis. You can just cheer for them both; they won't be mad!" Yang added.

The match started with Ozpin announcing the fight schedule and a few words about the festival and the tournament. Keeper couldn't focus on the smackdown being given by Pyrrha; He was too busy going over what Penny had said.

_Secret friend who looks like me? The only blood relative I have is Kira. Did she mean a Soulless? But the only other one that was authorized to come here died. Unless it was an unauthorized visit. But no one was reported missing. Something isn't adding up._

He was brought back to reality by a loud cheer. Pyrrha had just finished beating her opponent. Keeper watched the next match, since he would have to fight the winner if he won his match. Aurum won using his giant fan to literally blow away Isabella. The third match ended with Penny losing, much to the dismay of team RWBY but at least it solved Ruby's cheering dilemma for the semi-finals.

Keeper's match was announced to start soon, triggering a message to his scroll. He kissed Ruby before he went to the locker room, refocusing on the upcoming fight.

* * *

When Keeper went out to meet his opponent, he was momentarily stunned by her choice of dress. Or rather, her lack thereof. Ina was wearing what could only be described as an armored bikini. As he heard the catcalls and wolf-whistles from the stands, Keeper silently thanked the fates he wasn't going to be distracted by this thanks to Ruby. Instead of becoming too busy to do more than study her body like she probably expected, he focused on her weapon and stance. She was standing tall in an intentionally sexualized counterstrike stance with a long and slightly curved blade in its sheathe on her hip. It reminded him of the Bull Faunus he fought that night he and Ruby had been attacked, only with more flesh showing.

_A very interesting battle strategy. She uses her… clothing to distract her opponents into making mistakes and then uses that quick-draw style. Too bad I know how to beat both of them._

Keeper focused on Ruby, fixing her image in the forefront of his mind as the whistle blew. He surged forward with swords drawn, startling her as she was unprepared for him to make a move so soon. She drew her sword high, expecting him to swing with both his swords. But instead he turned his charge into a slide tackle, knocking her feet out from underneath her. From there it was a matter of tactical annihilation as he dropped her aura with an unbroken series of unrelenting slashes. As her aura hit the red and the match ended, Keeper helped her up and made sure to keep his gaze focused on her face. She seemed rather flustered to have been beaten so efficiently.

* * *

Once he was back with his friends, he did his best to ignore Yang's strange look of satisfaction.

"Impressive. Not many people can defeat such a skilled kunoichi." Ren remarked, nodding his approval.

"Good to know you can think with your brain." The blonde told him, patting him on the shoulder as he took his seat next to Ruby. "And considering how well you dominated your opponents in this tournament, it's no wonder we can't keep you and Ruby apart. Must be good to be a top dog."

"Actually, I'm the one on top normally." Ruby piped up, innocently correcting Yang. Everyone else turned red as Keeper put his head between his knees. Except for Neo and Yang, who were rolling on the floor, laughing so hard they had to hold their sides.

"Pyrrha, you're going to fight the fan-guy." Keeper told her, "Because I'm about to die of embarrassment." Deep down he silently thanked the fates that Kira was in the bathroom, otherwise he would have been dead to it already.

"What? What did I do?" Ruby asked, sensing it had been something she had done. Neo stopped holding her sides to hold onto Yang, making them roll together into the aisle when their laughter reached its peak.

"We'll talk about it later." Weiss told her partner, barely able to look at her or her boyfriend without her blush deepening. "When there aren't so many people to _overhear_ it." Ruby took the hint, blushing as she finally understood what mistake she had made. She drew up her hood, trying to hide her own embarrassment.

"Sorry." She whispered to her boyfriend, rubbing his back as he mumbled "permanently blackmailed" to himself.

Kira returned to the unusual sight, stepping over the rolling Yang and Neo to get back to her seat. She knew she had missed something clearly funny but she wasn't going to ask. Not yet anyways.

* * *

The semi-finals started with Pyrrha's match, giving Keeper a chance to recover from the emotional trauma of having his private preferences exposed. Jade used a half-moon bladed staff that Ren called a "shaolin spade", managing to score some decent hits before he lost to Pyrrha's skill and her semblance manipulating his weapon.

Keeper's match against Aurum was next, so he sat in the locker room, trying to strategize. Since his opponent was going to strike with the wind, Keeper would have to be faster than the wind.

The match started with a gust of wind from both combatants. Aurum's was meant to disorient Keeper, but the gust Keeper created was a mere side-effect of his speed as he closed the gap to his opponent. But when he tried to strike, his swords whipped past Aurum as they were caught in what felt like a jetstream. Rather than relinquish his weapons, he followed them over his opponent's shoulder and landed, looking at the wind master. Aurum whipped his fan around, the gale-force wind it generated nearly launching Keeper. He tried this attack several more times, seeing if there was any way to get passed the winds but failing to pierce them as the fan blew him around the arena.

A heavy gust from Aurum nearly lifted him into the air, and he knew what the solution was._ I guess I'm wasting that surprise then_. He landed and bloomed a petal vortex around himself, obscuring everyone's view while Aurum looked at the vortex with confusion. He could hear something mechanical happening inside and decided to disperse the temporary cover with a single sweep of his fan, scattering the petals. But what emerged wasn't what he expected. Clad head to toe in red armor that faded to white, Keeper raised plated fists as he stared at his opponent from behind his helmet.

Aurum was too confused to react when Keeper raced forward, semblance active as he reappeared right in front of his surprised foe. His weighted fist penetrated the winds protecting the boy, connecting with his jaw. As the boy stumbled back in shock, Keeper landed more blows across his chest and head as he failed to defend himself. Not looking to waste time, Keeper lobbed the boy into the air with a simple toss. Aurum managed to catch himself in the air, using his wind skills to not fall to the ground. Which was what Keeper had planned to happen.

The match ended when Keeper jumped into the air, twisting his whole body through a devastating bicycle kick. Aurum slammed into the ground, his aura barely able to take the hit. Keeper landed nearby, kneeling as he looked into the impact crater Aurum's fall had created.

"Winner, Keeper!" The referee said as the armor refolded into swords. Keeper stood up and helped Aurum to his feet, an act to show there were no hard feelings about the fight.

* * *

Back in the stands, everyone stared in silence as Keeper walked out of the arena with a slight smile.

"Wow." Jaune managed to say. Everyone echoed him, still not sure what they could do about a mecha-armored Keeper.

* * *

The final intermission was nearly over before they managed to comprehend what had happened. Keeper had won and now he was going to face Pyrrha. Two of the best fighters they had ever seen were about to go at it for the title of champion.

Yang was the first to monopolize on the realization. "Hey Jaune… You up for a little bet?"

Keeper and Pyrrha met in the arena, shaking hands before they would have to fight. It was the last opportunity for them to do anything before the championship.

"How much do you want to bet our friends are betting on the outcome?" Keeper asked Pyrrha, looking at the dueling veteran.

"With Yang and Nora up there and no one to convince Jaune not to…. I expect the wager to involve something very embarrassing." Pyrrha replied with complete certainty.

"In that case, may the better duelist win."

"I intend to."

"Ooh, trash-talk? Didn't know you had it in you, Miss Apologies."

The official arrived as they took their positions, "This match is for the title of champion in the Vytal Festival Tournament." The crowd cheered at his words, "Fighters ready?" Two nods. "Begin!"

They leapt at each other, not wasting a second as they clashed. They had sparred enough over the week before to know how they were going to open the fight. Keeper was practically fighting with four weapons, his swords continuing their trajectories as he attacked with his pistols before returning the gun handles to the blades to block Pyrrha's counterattacks. But even against the assault Pyrrha held strong, forcing Keeper back onto the defensive.

Keeper created a separation between them by kicking off of Pyrrha's shield and opening fire as he was propelled through the air. He landed with a flip as Pyrrha charged. Switching to the sniper rifle mode, Keeper fired while Pyrrha blocked with her shield. Once she was close enough, she reengaged Keeper, forcing him to block with his gun and not giving him a chance to switch his weapon mode. He leapt high over Pyrrha's attacks, clearing her and using the momentary advantage to plant a foot on her upper back before continuing to create distance. He landed while Pyrrha stumbled, weapon now in swordstaff mode.

They met each other at full charge, landing hits as they ignored defense in the name of pure attack power. Pyrrha bashed Keeper in the chest with her shield, knocking his breath away while he let his swordstaff collapse back into the swords. Knowing the match was nearly over, he gave Pyrrha his most determined look as he stood up. She returned his look with her own, adding a slight smile. They rushed forward, meeting in a clash of swords, javelin, shield, and pistols. Eventually Pyrrha managed to knock one of the free sword blades away, leaving Keeper without a way to block as she spun her javelin into his side. He hit the ground with a groan, his legs giving way to the sudden pain and sheer exhaustion.

"And that's the match!" The official called, running out to the two of them. Pyrrha helped Keeper gather his feet under himself and picked up his weapons as the official declared the victor, "Our champion: Pyrrha Nikos!"

The crowd's thunderous cheers momentarily deafened them as Professor Ozpin and General Ironwood walked out, along with Keeper's opponent from the last round, carrying the medals for the finalists. They lined up in order as Ozpin grabbed the first medal.

"Our third place finisher: Aurum Falkos!" Ozpin stated. The stadium echoed with his words as he draped the medal onto the boy's neck. They shook hands, and Ozpin stepped over to Keeper.

"Not bad for my first tournament?" He smiled at the headmaster.

"I should say not." He returned the smile before saying, "Our second place finisher: Keeper Edens!"

Keeper shook Ozpin's hand, making sure Ozpin caught his smirk before turning to face Pyrrha.

"And now first place, and grand champion of the Vytal Festival Tournament: Pyrrha Nikos!" The cheers turned deafening again as he presented the medal to Pyrrha, who took it with a subtle rouging of her cheeks. Ozpin shook her hand before stepping away to let the finalists take a bow. They walked off together as a festival chairman came over the loudspeaker to give a quick speech and declare the tournament over. Pyrrha and Keeper searched for their friends in the sea of people leaving the stadium, barely keeping track of each other in the crowd.

"Congratulations!" Jaune shouted, making them spin to see all their friends hurrying towards them. He pulled Pyrrha into a long kiss as Ruby practically skipped towards Keeper in excitement. Refusing to be outdone by Jaune, Keeper wrapped up Ruby and kissed her with greater fervor, even throwing in a dip for good measure. The group laughed at the display before saying their own congratulations once the couples stopped for air.

"Now it's time for a party!" Nora declared, eager to celebrate her teammate's victory. Everyone seemed eager to have a party.

"I'd prefer lunch first." Kira pointed to the clock tower, reminding them it was still relatively early in the day. They decided to go to a diner for lunch, where they served breakfast anytime which suited Nora's usual cravings.

"Now can we party?" Nora asked once they finished lunch.

"We don't have any supplies for a party." Ren told her.

"Then we get some and meet back at Beacon!" Everyone nodded, "Let's see…. Neo, Yang, Weiss, and Blake, go to the store and get streamers, balloons and stuff. Ren and I can get the cake!"

"And the rest of us?" Keeper asked, pointing to himself, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ruby, and Kira.

Kira put up her hands, "Don't include me. I have to hop on a trade airship in an hour. It's crazier than back home around here. But it was nice to see the city. Don't be strangers." With that settled she walked off and left the teens behind. Nora shrugged her shoulders.

"Jaune should be escort Pyrrha back to Beacon, she did just win the tournament. We have more than enough help, so Ruby should comfort Keeper for being the best loser!" Nora told them.

"And there goes my last shred of self-worth." He muttered, prompting a hug from Ruby. With everyone's plans in mind, the group split up leaving Ruby and Keeper alone in the city.

"Well… this sucks. What do we do?" Keeper said, sitting on a bench. Ruby sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Napping together sounds like a good idea." She yawned and nuzzled into her boyfriend.

Keeper rolled his eyes, "Not on a public bench. Back to Beacon it is. Though why you're tired I don't know."

"Because you stole my breath away with that kiss." She replied, making him shake his head at the cheesy line.

Once they made it back, they ran into Pyrrha and Jaune sitting together on the edge of the fountain. The two were kissing quite passionately, small moans escaping since they were too lost in each other to take notice of their surroundings.

"Is that what we sound like?" Ruby asked, watching the display with curiosity. She'd never watched a make-out scene that wasn't in a movie before and those didn't normally add in the extra sounds she was currently hearing.

"No, you make this cute little sighing noise while I just try to remember why I need to breathe." Keeper informed her. Jaune's hands started moving and slipped under Pyrrha's clothes as her moaning got louder.

"Ugh!" Ruby threw her hands over her eyes, "Don't need to see this!" She commented as she peeked through her fingers. Keeper decided to ignore his girlfriend's interest in learning some new techniques from her friends in favor of dealing with the soon-to-be public indecency.

"I'll cool them off." Keeper told her before seemingly teleporting next to the fountain. He splashed the two lovebirds, making them separate and take notice of him. Jaune and Pyrrha were blushing furiously at Keeper's blank expression. "Sorry to interrupt, but Ruby and I are going to take a nap. Just wake us when it's cake time." Problems solved for the moment, he and Ruby went back to her dorm.

* * *

A loud knock made Keeper stir and groan from his spot in Ruby's arms. He pulled out his scroll and checked the time. _3:30? Not bad_. He groaned again as the person knocking hit the door repeatedly.

"We're getting up!" He hollered, which didn't make Ruby stir. Sometimes she slept like a rock, and this was one of those times. Going with his tried-and-true method, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered before she moved to press her lips to his.

She smiled and slid off the bed, looking at Keeper while he followed her down. "Cake time?"

"Cake time." He told her while he opened the door. Pyrrha was standing there as Jaune negotiated with the door to his room. He turned once the three came over.

"They're here Nora, now open up!" He said. The door swung open and everyone walked in. Streamers and balloons were everywhere, as well as large banner that read "Congratulations Pyrrha!" with a smaller banner underneath reading "Nice try, Keeper!" He shook his head at the pointed jab likely added by Nora as confetti and party favors rained down on them.

"Way to go Pyrrha!" Everyone declared. Cake was promptly passed around and everyone struck up fun conversations.

As the afternoon turned to evening, the party wound down until the group went for dinner. Sitting around the table, Yang and Jaune exchanged several looks which made Pyrrha and Keeper suspicious.

"Okay what did you guys bet on our match?" Keeper asked, knowing the blondes had done something.

"If you had won, Jaune and his team would have been streaking the mile-long walk from the gates back to the dorms." Yang told him, crossing her arms with a frown. She had wanted to watch that.

"But since Pyrrha won, each of you have to do a special challenge from Nora. Neo and Keeper included." Jaune's smug grin told the whole story. Nora's Cheshire grin made its appearance at the explanation, sending a shiver down Neo's spine while Keeper grimaced.

"And please enlighten me as to why I would do anything Nora suggests? I think my life is dangerous enough already, thank you." Keeper looked to his girlfriend's team for an answer as Neo shook her head in agreement. Even Neo was a little afraid of Nora's wild imagination.

"Well, it's either that or you deal with a very different side of Nora." Yang explained, "Believe me when I say you don't want to meet that Nora." Six nodding heads backed up her story.

Keeper sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "Yang, you are banned from making bets that involve me. In any way, shape, or form. Forever."

"Same here." Neo seconded. She wasn't going to be a victim of Nora's if she could help it.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't there to stop them." Pyrrha comforted them.

"Could be worse." Yang told him, "You could be doing all the challenges for us. That was the bonus if you lost in under five minutes."

"Real glad it took her six minutes to beat me then." Keeper could only sigh in a mix of frustration and relief.

"That could have been fun to watch." Neo pondered, looking up as she wondered what kind of challenges Nora could come up with. She could have enjoyed the chaos without worrying for her own safety.

"I know you've got a sadistic streak to you, but don't take it out on me." Keeper requested of his pint-sized partner. Neo responded with a mischievous grin. She had to have normal fun somehow.

"First challenge!" Nora yelled, standing on the table, "Weiss must listen to a glorious bagpipe duel between Keeper and me!" Weiss noticeably paled at the thought of being forced to watch that mayhem as everyone else lurched back from the table. She was about to run when Blake grabbed her arm.

"If you run now, it will only get worse." Blake reminded Weiss. The heiress slumped back into her seat, defeated by the Faunus's logic.

"When do I start suffering?" She asked, head on the table.

"As soon as Keeper gets his bagpipes!" Nora declared, pulling out her instrument of audible destruction. Everyone looked at Keeper who only sighed again.

"You guys have five minutes to get to safety. I can't promise any more than that." Keeper told them as he started walking back to the dorms.

* * *

For the next twenty minutes, anyone on Beacon grounds could hear the torturous sounds of two bagpipes being played at the same time. And if they listened closely (which no one did…) they could hear the screams of a certain heiress under the noise.

* * *

_Somewhere in Vale…._

Roman could have sworn he heard the call of the most beautiful instrument ever constructed. He let himself think back to the last time he had had a chance to break out his bagpipes. He really needed a good excuse to piss off Cinder anyways.

* * *

Weiss returned to the team's dorm looking shell-shocked. She flopped onto her bed as the others took out their earplugs since her return meant it was safe. Keeper arrived soon after with a big grin on his face.

"Great news! I beat Nora." He told them, tossing his instrument into a duffel bag he was also carrying. "So we're safe from anyone playing them until Nora manages to buy a new one."

"No one's safe so long as you have one!" Weiss's muffled yell reached them. The three girls looked at him, knowing Weiss was right. They looked from the duffel bag to Keeper and back again. Rather than reply immediately, he shook the bag which made it rattle and crackle strangely.

"No, everyone's safe. I'm finished with it. Plus Neo might kill me if I bring it back to the dorm." He told them as he opened the window and threw the bag as far as he could. They all listened as it plummeted, then landed in a dumpster. "Hole in one!"

"Why throw the duffel bag out with it?" Ruby asked. It just seemed like a waste.

"More aerodynamic. Plus I filled it with rocks and sharp scrap pieces to ensure no one could revive it. Which means it's technically dozens of holes in a busted bagpipe, but semantics aren't relevant." He answered, closing the window.

"Your ability to serve the greater good while messing with Weiss impresses me." Yang told Keeper. And here she had thought he was opposed to her type of fun.

"I blame Kira's influence. Now message your girlfriend to unbarricade the door to our dorm. I want to go back to my dorm." Yang threw a pillow at him for spoiling the moment, but complied. Too many people with unfinished challenges was easy pickings for Nora.

"What, no special plans to celebrate your second place in the tournament?" Blake taunted, looking up from ever present book. Jaune and Pyrrha had already mentioned that they had some plans of their own to celebrate her win at some point. Keeper saw another opportunity to extend his fun right then and there. One that had been planned but now he didn't need to come up with a ridiculous reason for it to work like he had last week.

"Well that depends on if Neo wants to stay over here for the night or if you are willing to clear out." Keeper deadpanned with a wink at Ruby. She smiled and gave her own wink as the other girls reacted. Yang just smiled and rolled her eyes at the straightforward reply. Blake blushed when she remembered she was reading a Ninjas of Love novel. Weiss sat up in her bed, musical trauma forgotten.

"I don't want to keep hearing this!" Weiss proclaimed while she wrapped her pillow over her ears.

"Pack an overnight bag sis, I don't expect to see you until breakfast." Yang told Ruby when she received a reply from Neo. Blake didn't respond as Ruby started to follow the suggestion and Weiss sat up and sputtered.

"Why are you of all people encouraging this?" Weiss demanded of Yang.

"Ruby and Keeper are mature adolescents or in Keeper's case adolescent-minded," He gave an unceremonious eyeroll at the comment, "with a strong relationship and physical needs. But mostly because you're the only one who has a problem with it anymore."

"I don't have a problem with it, I just don't like it being announced!" Ruby finished packing and stood by the door to wait to leave.

"You and me both Weiss. You and me both." Keeper told her. Then he took Ruby's hand and left the room.

Yang looked at the heiress who was sitting in shock. "I guess he figured out what all those study sessions you have are for." Weiss's pillow hit Yang square in the face.

* * *

Neo had just finished putting the last chair back in its spot around the table when Keeper pushed the door open. Ruby followed, tossing a small bag of clothes next to his bed.

"I put everything back where it belongs," She informed her partner as he and Ruby settled on his bed.

"We really had Weiss riled up this time so you and Yang should try and keep your usual behavior to a minimum." He replied while she grabbed up her own small bag with a slight humph.

"Try not to break the bedframe. I hear its weak from previous use." Neo singsonged when she left the room, much to Keeper's annoyance. After making sure she was gone, Keeper reached under his bed and pulled out a large flatscreen TV with a gaming system attached to it. He set it up before turning back to Ruby.

"So, now that all the witnesses are gone, shall we return to our planned activities?" Keeper asked, holding up a pair of video game controllers and a game disc.

"Only if you're ready to lose in capture the flag again." Ruby told him, snatching the game disc from his hand and popping it into the system.

"You had an unfair advantage last time and you know it." Keeper said as he handed her a controller and changed into his pajamas while the game loaded.

When he noticed Ruby hadn't done the same, he asked, "Aren't you going to get changed?"

"Why bother?" She said, reminding him of the other part of their plans. Keeper thought about it for a second, before nodding.

"Good point."

* * *

Neo opened the door to the RWBY dorm to a very unusual sight. Yang was paging through a textbook as Weiss had headphones on with loud club music blaring from them. Blake sat on her bed, staring down Zwei from his spot on the floor near her bed.

"Did I accidentally walk into a parallel universe?" Neo asked, gaining Blake's attention. Yang seemed absorbed in the textbook and Weiss couldn't hear her over the music so they didn't notice her arrival.

"Wait for it." The ninja-esque girl said, holding up a single finger in waiting while Zwei went over to go sniff around Neo.

Yang smiled and stood up, shouting, "Found it!" She grabbed the book and sped over to Weiss, who took her headphones off as Yang shoved the book in her face. "See? I told you!"

Neo could see the book was on ancient myths and hear that Weiss was actually listening to _I Burn_ by JnCLW. _Weiss likes club music?_

"And what does an old story about a lost shepherd have to do with this?" Weiss asked as Yang rolled her eyes.

"You said there was no proof that Keeper's people and ours had ever met before the whole 'spy killed in our dorm' disaster that started all of this. This proves otherwise, so I win."

"No you don't. This says the shepherd was guided out by a kindly mountain spirit."

"And I quote, 'the mountains dispelled their guardians, who were colored black as coal and had hearts of stone. They gave the lost shepherd a pendant with their mark and the forest's path lay revealed to him. As he went back to his home, no beast nor man nor Grimm strayed across his path.' Sound familiar to our little walk through their territory?"

"That's just conjecture!" Weiss denied, turning away from Yang and her book. Neo was still trying to recover from the shock of Yang acting so studious when Blake intervened.

"Actually," Blake chimed in, "with the updated maps, that story was confirmed to have happened in roughly the area near Village Rock, where they live inside the caves and mesas. Sorry but Yang's right."

"How could you side with her?" Weiss asked, betrayal on her face. Now Neo really wanted to know what had made Yang study.

"That's two to one Princess. You know the deal." Yang reminded her, tossing the book aside.

Before Weiss could reply, Nora popped her head into the room.

"Blake," She declared as she stepped into the room, "Your challenge is…. to deal with this!" She threw two green-colored clumps, one aimed at Weiss and the other one at Blake. Upon contact they exploded into fine powder, coating the two of them. Nora cackled maniacally as she exited before anyone could stop her.

"What the hell was that?" Weiss spat out the minty-smelling powder. Neo was wondering the same thing, and more specifically why whatever it was reminded her of the pet store.

"I don't know. But it's doing something to Blake." Yang said, looking at the Faunus. The others turned to watch as the catgirl sat stock-still, her eyes wide and pupils narrow as her bow twitched. She moved, quick as a flash, wrapping her arms around Weiss as she continued to breathe in whatever Nora had thrown. The action knocked Weiss back onto her bed, cutting off any escape route from her assault.

Weiss tried to push Blake off, but her grip was iron around the poor heiress. Walking up to the incapacitated Weiss, Neo managed to dip her finger into the powder stuck in their hair while Weiss and Blake rolled on the bed, one desperate to escape and the other desperate to hold on.

Taking a quick sniff of the powder, Neo identified the mystery challenge, "Catnip, and some other things. Nora threw catnip on the two of you."

"So Blake is what…. drugged? Because that's kind of funny if it's true." Yang asked, looking to her shorter girlfriend for an answer.

"Unfortunately, yes. And until it wears off, Blake's not going to be herself. And judging by her grip on Weiss, I think we should just let them deal with it."

Weiss managed to put some separation between her and Blake, "Don't you dare!"

Yang honestly considered helping Weiss for a second, but Neo gave her a quick wink, changing her eye color to use one of their covert signals. _Back her up? What does Neo have planned?_

"Sorry, but Neo's the expert here since Blake is being… not herself."

"Don't leave me alone with her!" Weiss pleaded, her breath hitching as Blake rolled on top of her and buried her face in Weiss's hair.

Neo smiled her most mischievous smile as she pulled out her scroll, setting it to record video. "Oh, I didn't say we were leaving. Just not interfering."

"Yang, make your girlfriend and your partner stop this foolishness at once!" Weiss demanded, a slight note of panic entering her voice as Blake's hand started to run down her back.

Having never seen Weiss so far out of her comfort zone and in the middle of thoroughly enjoying it, Yang felt quite entitled to let it continue. "Consider this a once in a lifetime experience. I doubt Blake will ever let it happen again."

"I hope Nora's challenge for you is your worst nightmare!"

* * *

In the JNPR dorm, Jaune looked at Ren, who was doing his best to hide several potted plants by throwing them out of the room's window. Noting the conspicuous absence of Pyrrha and Nora, Jaune decided to confront his teammate on his odd behavior.

"Ren, that's not how you take care of plants. I mean, I'm not a gardener like you or Keeper of Every Skill Known to Remnant, but I'm pretty sure that's not right." He explained as Ren hurled the last one into the night.

"I'm not trying to care for them. Not anymore." Ren told him, looking slightly sad. "Nora used them to make Blake's challenge, and if she finds out that they were from my sprouts, she'll assassinate me. Or anyone else in that room would too."

"You call your plants sprouts?" Ren's magenta eyes flashed with a surprising amount of venom at the question. But he sighed, and sat on his bed instead of striking Jaune.

"I've been tending some of them for years. Every night before I go to sleep. Surely you understand."

Jaune sat down next to his friend. "You really cared for them, didn't you?"

"They were my first friends. Even before I met Nora."

"You never did tell me how you two met."

"That's more of a story I would prefer her to tell."

A sudden boom echoing through the dorm building and the following bubbly laugh was an all too familiar situation to the two friends. Ren shook his head, and reached under his bed for an oversized lightning-shaped plush pillow. Jaune looked at his teammate, grabbing his shield in case Nora had any more exploding 'toys'. "I'm guessing Pyrrha lost track of Nora. I really thought she had a good chance of keeping an eye on her so you could have a break."

Ren smiled as he armed himself with the pink and fluffy pillow. "There's a reason I'm expected to keep track of her. I'm the only one who can."

* * *

Ruby turned in the direction of the explosion she had just heard, forgetting about the game she was playing long enough for Keeper to score the final point. She turned back as the screen flashed its victorious message for him.

"Hey! You know I was distracted!" Ruby told him, shoving him as he danced on the bed in celebration. He fell off the bed and got back up, a smug grin plastered to his face.

"You know the rules. Your winning streak is over." He told her as he made sure the explosion wasn't one of his experimental Dust rounds firing off. Trying to make his own specialty rounds was dangerous enough without one going off while they were only in their underwear.

"That's mean!" Ruby pouted, teasing him for his competiveness. He quickly kissed away her pout, refusing to let her use it to manipulate him. He learned from mistakes; at least he claimed to do so.

"Okay, so the explosion wasn't mine." Keeper informed her as the next match started its countdown.

They were halfway through the match when someone knocked on the door. "Couldn't play videogames in our underwear without something interrupting us, could we?" Ruby muttered as she snatched up her pajamas.

"Better than them getting the wrong idea." Keeper sighed, annoyed that someone had interrupted his long-established weekly ritual that had just started including Ruby after her birthday. A definite bonus in his opinion. Which made the interruption even more annoying.

Taking the time to make themselves decent before answering, Keeper was surprised to see a soot-covered Pyrrha standing there.

"Have you two seen Nora?" She asked, eyes sweeping over the dorm in search of the pink bomber.

"Nope. Now if you could leave, Ruby and I were in the middle of a game." Keeper pointed to the TV and gaming system set up near Ruby behind him. She quickly waved before unpausing the game and continuing to play without Keeper. All is fair in love and videogame wars after all.

"Sorry, it's just it was my responsibility to…" The Spartan was cut off by the sudden appearance of Nora directly behind Keeper. And judging by the mischief in her eyes, it could only spell trouble. Pyrrha pushed through Keeper to get a grip on the bomber before she could escape. The poor boy was bowled over, and crushed between the two members of JNPR as Pyrrha tried to pin Nora. His gasp when the air was driven from his lungs made Ruby turn to the brawl. Her eyes nearly exploded at the sight.

"Hands off my boyfriend!" Ruby yelled before jumping into the pile of bodies, kicking up a cloud of violence. It soon broke up, with Pyrrha firmly grasping Nora by the shoulders and Ruby clutching Keeper's face to her chest. A rather familiar change of blood flow happened until Keeper remembered there were others in the room at the moment.

"Didn't think you were the jealous type Ruby." Nora said from her position. The bubbly girl looked half-crazed with Pyrrha's arms restraining her. Which did nothing to make her seem out of character anyways.

"She isn't." Keeper managed to say, focusing his thoughts. "She just prefers I not be smothered in other people's… closeness. Ask Yang if you don't believe me."

"Makes sense." Pyrrha said as she blushed at Keeper's insinuations. _This is my fault. I jumped on him to get Nora_. She thought.

"Keeper! Your challenge is…" Nora said as she broke free of Pyrrha's grasp. She hurriedly pulled him away from Ruby and close to her and whispered into his ear before Pyrrha grabbed her again. Ruby silently thanked Pyrrha for it once she rescued Keeper from the bomber's clutches. "Also, no telling anyone what it is!"

"Damn. Fine." Keeper said as he carefully extricated himself from Ruby's grasp. He needed a clear head to think about his challenge. "I'll have it done for breakfast tomorrow."

"Nora!" Ren said, standing in the doorway.

"Ren-y! And you have my pillow!" Nora once again escaped Pyrrha's hold, pulling her boyfriend and the lightning-shaped pillow he was carrying close.

"C'mon Nora, time to go to back to the dorm." Ren carefully led the pink bomber away while Pyrrha looked at Jaune in confusion. He shook his head.

"Don't even bother asking. I don't know either." Jaune told her as he took her sooty hand in his. They left, closing the door and leaving Ruby and Keeper to wonder what had just transpired.

"Do you…?" Ruby started to question. Keeper shook his head as he put away the TV and game system, then he walked over to make sure the door was locked before responding.

"I'm so far beyond questioning anything at this point I've decided to just accept it as part of my life here. Particularly where Nora is involved." Keeper told her. "But let's call it a night before something else happens."

He turned to look at Ruby, only to find her missing and the lights of his dorm inexplicably turned off. Knowing exactly where this was going, he jumped straight at his bed and felt Ruby's body already under the covers.

"You didn't even wait." He jokingly whined before joining her underneath his covers. He wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled into his embrace.

* * *

Neo and Yang had heard the Nora-based explosion and the subsequent hunt for her initiated by Jaune and Ren. But they were having too much fun watching Weiss squirm in Blake's grip. At least Neo was.

"Haven't you had enough fun?" Weiss asked, her voice weak from constantly begging for help. Neo checked her scroll, and realized that it had stopped recording.

"Apparently. I'm out of memory." Neo told her. Yang, who had spent her time trying to figure out if there was a way to cure Blake, just shook her head. Sometimes her little butterfly was as forgetful as Nora on a sugar high.

"Then help me!" Weiss asked, barely managing to keep Blake's fingers away from the hem of her nightdress.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Yang told her, looking up from her scroll. She had found a possible solution, but she doubted either of them would like it.

"Well then, I suggest you help our poor Heiress." Neo told her, smiling since Blake had started to purr on top of Weiss. The soft rumbling was furthered by Weiss's accidental bushing of her cat ears underneath her bow.

"Just do something already!" Weiss snapped, trying to break Blake's iron grip for the umpteenth time. Yang sighed and went into the bathroom while Neo decided to see if she could create some space between Blake and Weiss. She failed spectacularly as Blake casually rolled away from the smaller girl with her prize, leaving her on the edge of Weiss's bed.

"Get clear!" Yang warned Neo, who looked over just in time to dodge the large bucket of water being thrown in their direction. Neo hit the floor as the water soaked Weiss, her bed, and Blake. Blake let go of Weiss with a hiss and jumped to the floor beside Neo. Weiss pushed her soaked hair out of her face, livid expression focused on Yang while Neo threw a large beach towel on Blake. The catgirl started squirming underneath it, trying to determine whether to dry off or get out from underneath the large cloth.

"Where did you get the bucket?" Neo inquired, and Yang shrugged. It had been in the bathroom when she was looking, and she wasn't going to question a gift horse.

"You dolt! What kind of plan was that?" She shrieked, getting out of her damp bed and moving to berate Yang, "You just ruined my bed!"

"Relax, it's just water and it'll dry. Plus, now you have enough time to get in the shower and wash off the catnip before Blake dries off enough to contemplate chasing you in there." Yang motioned to the bathroom and the Faunus currently underneath the towel.

"Thank you." Weiss grudgingly told her before hurrying into the bathroom. She made sure to lock the door.

* * *

Weiss exited the bathroom, freshly showered and wrapped in a towel. Yang and Neo stood next to each other with Zwei at their feet, all three of them looking at the suspended bed known as "Fort Ruby" with rapt attention. Weiss looked for herself and noticed a pair of amber eyes sticking out of the bundle of sheets and blankets atop Ruby's bed.

"What happened?" Weiss asked, making her way to her drawers for one of her other sets of pajamas and underwear.

"Blakey noticed Zwei was in the room and just jumped straight up there." Yang told her as Weiss quickly pulled on the clothing beneath her towel. Now suitably dressed, Weiss joined the group watching Blake.

"You think I'll be safe to sleep?" Weiss asked looking at Blake's bed since hers was still wet.

"If you don't mind sharing it with Zwei for protection. Yang and I will share her bed." Neo told her as she jumped up to said bunk. Weiss eagerly snatched the furry protection as Yang hauled herself up to her bed next to Neo. Blake's amber eyes roamed from the elevated safety of Ruby's bed, finding her prize being guarded by her greatest enemy.

"So why were you so afraid of Blake wanting to romp? I thought that you and Blake had already had some fun on Sunday?" Yang asked as Weiss turned off the lights, holding Zwei as tight as she could. She slipped into Blake's bed hoping the darkness would hide her blush.

"We, uh…. We didn't. We were going to…. But we got cold feet." Weiss answered. Neo wormed her way into Yang's embrace before replying for them.

"Now it makes sense. You want your first time to be special. Just let us know what day you two want to yourselves since Yang and I already had ours." She told her as she adjusted her head on Yang's chest. Yang did her best not to moan at the subtle breast manipulations by her ice cream-themed girlfriend. She knew Neo enjoyed the danger of almost being caught by Weiss but that didn't mean she did.

"Really?"

"Of course. We won't stand in the way of true love." Neo replied, pausing her silent teasing of Yang. "Now I suggest we get some sleep."

* * *

Ruby and Keeper writhed in a shared night of terror, clinging to each other for instinctive protection from the nightmares plaguing them.

* * *

_Ruby found herself back in the warehouse, watching the entrance of Grimm Keeper. But unlike when she had seen it before, no mist shrouded him as he stepped into the building. She heard Roman give the attack order, watching as the White Fang charged in. She watched what had happened behind the veil of mist. A Deathstalker tail grew as his arms became pincers. The first one was stabbed by the tail, his blood flying from the hole in his chest. The others were grabbed by their heads, skulls exploding under the pincers' force. She couldn't help but feel sick as the Grimm smiled and its bestial parts disappeared. The gore and bodies dissipated into a black mist that drifted into the Grimm as it stepped forward. _

_She watched as the White Fang shot him again, but this time she saw the White Fang that had been killed dying as phantasmal images, their ghostly bodies riddled with the same bullet holes as his. Once again he vanished, claiming their lives for his own power. She knew what would come next._

* * *

_Keeper was in a cave, a thin crack in the ceiling providing just enough light to see by. All he could see was a raised dais, a stone table like the one that he and many Soulless had woken up on across the millennia. Taking a closer look at the walls of his prison, he could see something had been carved into them. Lines, arranged into groups and kept count by slashing them together in groups of 16. Whoever or whatever had been here before him had been at it for some time if Keeper's counting was correct._

"_Where have the fates placed me this time?" He asked himself, "The last time I dreamed it was Ranth. Could this be…?"_

_A rumble shook the small cave, throwing Keeper's feet from under him. He could only curl tightly into himself as the tremors continued, the sound of the rock shifting behind the walls warning him of their imminent collapse on him. He cowered as dust and small pebbles rained down, triggering a flashback to one of his darker memories. He gagged at the memory of mud forcing its way into his throat while a whole mountain fell on him threatened to break his hold on his buried fears._

_He didn't want that, not again. He'd been buried alive in a landslide before, a tiny cave much like this one being the only thing that had saved him then. It was one of the few times he would say he had ever been truly afraid. But he never told anyone it had happened, never let anyone know he was that weak._

_The shaking stopped, its disappearance leaving him afraid of the possibility that it wasn't truly over._

* * *

"_Stop!" Ruby yelled at the monster, trying to save Emerald. But this time the creature ignored her as the sound of bones breaking reached her ears. He threw Emerald's body aside and Kira charged in._

"_Run Ruby! Get out of here!" She yelled while Grimm Keeper caught her arm. She twisted in its grip, turning to face Ruby. She smiled sadly while a clawed hand tore her throat out. Ruby nearly threw up as she caught sight of the bloody remains of Kira's throat coating Grimm Keeper's free hand. It smiled a bloodstained smile as it licked its hand clean. She spotted Crescent Rose lying nearby, the weapon waiting for her to reclaim it. She hurried to it, picking up her sweetheart for comfort and reassurance before considering her own escape. _

_Ruby sprinted for the hole in the wall, her semblance active as she fled. All she heard was a twisted laugh from behind her._

* * *

_Keeper heard the question from nowhere. "Who am I?" Keeper searched for the source of the voice, but it sounded like the walls were speaking themselves. He remembered how his shouts for help had echoed just the voice did now._

"_Who am I?" The voice became more urgent, raising its volume in desperation. He could feel something about the voice raising the hairs on his neck, but he wanted to pray it was some leftover adrenaline from the shaking earlier._

"_Who am I?" The voice screamed, the cave now echoing with its question. Keeper put his hands over his ears, the noise painfully loud. He yelled back at it._

"_I don't know!" But whether he was answering the question for the voice or for himself was his deepest buried fear._

* * *

_Ruby had made it out of the warehouse and spotted Yang and all of her friends racing towards it. She ran to her sister only to see a shadow move. In a single unseen strike Ren and Nora fell to the ground, their headless bodies slumping as their blood poured out on the pavement. Everyone turned to stare at the bodies as Ruby screamed. This monster was just toying with them now. A slow clap reached their ears as Ruby stood next to her friends._

"_What is the old saying, 'let the minnow go and it will lead you to the whale'? It doesn't matter." Grimm Keeper told them as it stood nearby, holding Ren and Nora's heads in its hand by their hair. The shock and surprise of the attack were frozen on their dead faces. Yang and the others readied to fight._

_Pyrrha, Jaune, and Neo charged it under the covering fire of Yang, Blake, Weiss, and Ruby. But the monster vanished into petals, leaving them without a target while the heads of their friends fell to the ground with a wet thud. Ruby felt a chill run down her neck, and she turned to see Grimm Keeper behind Blake, smiling as it signaled her to keep quiet._

"_Blake!" Ruby barely managed to say her name before the monster's jaws closed on her neck. A spray of blood fountained away from the Faunus girl as the monster sped away. The group that had been charging turned to watch as Blake fell to her knees, her blood pouring out while she tried to cover the gaping wound. She collapsed into the puddle, her body curled in its own blood. Jaune didn't have time to react as a Deathstalker stinger erupted from his chest, the extra appendage having reappeared on Grimm Keeper as he stood behind the stunned team leader. Jaune's body was flung away when Grimm Keeper turned his attention to the two girls nearby._

_Ruby could only feel sick as Pyrrha and Neo engaged the monster while its heavy pincers blocked their attacks and countered with its tail. Yang, Weiss, and Ruby regrouped, unsure of what to do now that they had lost a third of their group._

"_What is that thing? And where's Keeper? He led us here and we need him to at least distract it." Yang asked her sister, leading them to join the charge to kill the Grimm. Her eyes were red, her anger boiling over at the loss of their friends._

"_That's him. Keeper's gone crazy and become a Grimm." Ruby told them, only able to watch as Neo was caught in a pincer. She yelled for help while the pincer snapped shut, cutting through her at the waist. The monster didn't seem to notice it had killed her since it knocked Pyrrha back towards Ruby. She barely managed to dodge as the champion flew through the area she had previously occupied. _

_Yang screamed in pure fury, her hair turning to raw aura fire as her red eyes locked onto her target. But the Grimm tossed the half of Neo's body it held at her for a distraction before disappearing again. Yang turned, her fury unleashed as all she could think about was revenge in her search for her target. Pyrrha stood alone, her shield raised as she circled for any sign of the monster._

_A vicious caw sounded from above as a shadow slammed into Weiss, cracking the pavement underneath its force. They caught a glimpse of the now-winged Grimm before it took off again, vanishing like it had before. Ruby and the other's rushed over to where she lay, immobilized. They could see Weiss coughing up blood when she tried to say something._

"_Run, you dolts. Run." She told them when they heard a familiar whistling. They barely had time to dodge as the feathers tore into the ground and Weiss._

_Before they could regroup, Grimm Keeper appeared again and this time latched onto Pyrrha as bony spikes erupted from its body. Even with her armor, they could see the spikes penetrate. Keeper let go, and the ground was soon awash with her blood as dozens of wounds poured out her life onto the ground. Once again he vanished, his endurance seemingly infinite as he continued to use his semblance to hide from them._

_The two sisters moved and stood back-to-back. Ruby could feel the heat rolling off of Yang, fighting to try and wake up from this nightmare._

"_Rubes, you need to get out of here. I'll handle it." Yang told her sister, red eyes watching for any sign of the monster that had killed all of their friends._

"_But Yang…" Ruby started._

"_No buts. Someone needs to warn them. If someone doesn't get away then it's all worth nothing. Now go!" Yang ordered her as she caught sight of the Grimm. It smiled and taunted her with a beckoning hand. She charged while Ruby turned to watch. Yang tried to land even a single punch, knowing it would set her up for a killer combo. But no blows landed as the monster dodged and wove around her attacks. It reached out, its humanoid hand chopping at her throat. The brawler gasped and choked, her fury forgotten as she tried to breathe through the pain and muscle spasms. Grimm Keeper smiled at Ruby, cocking its own fist to end a defenseless Yang. _

_The blow made Yang's skull explode almost comically under its force. Yang's body fell to the ground, joining the other bodies that lay scattered around the area. Ruby felt her knees give up the fight to hold her up. Everyone was dead, and there was nothing she could have done to stop it. She watched as it flicked the remaining gore from its fist while it walked towards her._

"_I need help." The monster that had replaced the boy she loved stood in front of her, staring at her with all its evil intent._

* * *

_Keeper kept yelling his answer back as the cave continued to shout its question, pleading as the pain from its volume destroyed his mental walls. Finally Keeper had had enough._

"_Quit asking! I am not you!" He proclaimed, desperation leaving him little else to say. The silence immediately became deafening as the walls stopped their questioning. A rumble shook the room again, the crack growing large enough for more light to stream into the cave. Keeper flinched but managed to regain some mental composure despite the tremor._

"_What are you then? A mere boy lost in time? A forgotten god that forsook its duty? Or maybe a monster hiding in the light?" The voice turned dark and soft, reminding Keeper of silk drenched in blood. Not a memory he wanted to surface._

"_I am me! A warrior that has found a greater power than his sword: love!"_

_The cave's voice chuckled, "Love? That is what you call your weakness? You had immortality, the devotion of an entire kingdom, the power to shape the world as you saw fit! You gave up the power to rule this world for love?"_

"_Yes. And I would do it again."_

"_You're a fool. If you cast aside this weakness called love, you could defeat anything in your path. People. Kingdoms. The Grimm. All would bow to your whims. I order you to forsake it and finish what you started."_

"_No."_

"_No?"_

"_No. I won't. I don't crave your power. What you call weakness, I call redemption. What you call strength, I call fear. The Grimm's power may be a part of me, but I am human first!" He could have sworn he heard wingbeats from somewhere nearby._

"_Now… Let. Me. OUT!" He screamed as the world exploded and everything went white._

* * *

_Ruby was pinned to the ground by a heavy foot on her throat. All she could see was the condescension on the Grimm's face as it looked down on her._

"_That he would go to such lengths is proof of his weakness. Where is he now, when you need him most? Nowhere. Because I'm the truth." It told her, malice dripping through its voice. Ruby struggled, but her efforts were in vain. And she was going to die._

"_Get away from her. This is between you and me, shadow." Keeper's true voice ordered the Grimm. It and its prey turned their heads. Keeper stood there, a silver-winged angel behind him as her long black-red hair hid her face from them. She stretched her hands forward and Keeper's swords appeared in his hands. As he readjusted his grip on the familiar weapons, she vanished._

"_Impossible. You are the lie. I am real." The Grimm version said, stepping off of Ruby's neck and fully turning to face him, its victory forgotten in the face of a new challenger. She used the opportunity to get clear as Keeper charged the Grimm. It dodged, creating its Deathstalker parts while the swords danced across the space formerly occupied by its head. Its tail flew at Keeper's head, only for the stinger to be cut off as Keeper parried and counterstruck. _

_It hissed in pain, the Deathstalker claws and the remains of its tail fading into nothingness._

"_You shadow, stand no chance against my light. I will dispel your falsehoods." Moonlace started to glow, its blinding light seeming to be fine for Ruby to look into as the Grimm continued to hiss. The shadow dodged, but the swing still generated a cutting wave of light. The wave clipped its arm, and its howl of pain was echoed as Grimm ghosts appeared and shattered. _

_It stood up, its shaking body proving the attack's effectiveness. "Y-You won't win. I am darkness itself. I am fear incarnate!" It charged and with a flurry of clawed swings managed to knock Rosethorn from Keeper's hand. The red sword slid to Ruby's feet as Keeper dueled the Grimm, two hands on Moonlace._

_She picked up the sword as Keeper was tossed back by a vicious blow. She wasn't trained with it, but she knew that she needed to fight. Her swing was wild, but the Grimm was too surprised by her rejoining the battle to block the attack. She managed to cut off an arm before it got out of the way. _

_Unlike every attack that injured it before this one didn't heal, leaving only a bloody stump. Keeper charged, Moonlace flashing as its light turned the night into day. The Grimm tried to flee, only for Keeper to throw Moonlace like a spear. The white sword bit deep into its leg, making it fall as the limb gave out. It tried to pull the glowing sword from its flesh, but it only burned away its remaining arm by touching the sword's glowing edge._

"_You are defeated shadow." Keeper said as he stalked towards the injured Grimm._

"_Regardless," It told him, "You cannot kill fear." But Ruby took the opportunity to stab it through its unbeating heart. It coughed and gagged, its next words turning to bubbles of blood in its throat. _

"_You're wrong. A single spark of hope can dispel even the greatest shadow of fear." Keeper said, pulling his sword from its leg as Ruby did the same with Rosethorn. They crossed the swords at its neck, the monster too weak to struggle at this point. They held each other's hands, overlaying them on the sword handles. Together they decapitated it, its body dissolving to nothing as the swords vanished and left them still holding hands._

"_So that's what you saw?" He asked her, pulling her into a comforting hug. She held him tightly, not wanting him to go away. She buried her head in his chest, her eyes closing to dispel this dream and wake up in his arms._

"_Yes. But it wasn't you. It never was." She told him. She felt him tense in what she guessed was surprise._

"_Where is this place?" He asked her, letting go to let her see._

_They were in a meadow of flowers, each one a different color while a third person stood across from them. Ruby recognized her dream friend while Keeper didn't. She wanted to run to him, to thank him for all he had done, but she didn't. Not now that she had Keeper there for her._

_Keeper studied the boy across from him. They could have passed for brothers, but it was clear which one of them was which. His grey eyes met the emerald-green ones from their hiding spot behind the purple locks of hair. _

"_So you're my counterpart." Keeper told the boy as he walked closer to them. The boy smiled at Keeper and nodded to Ruby._

"_I guess I am." He replied, his voice a near match for Keeper's. He turned to Ruby, "I'm glad you found him. You don't need me anymore. Take care." He started to walk away._

"_Wait!" Ruby ordered him, "I wanted to thank you. For all this time you've been my friend. But you never told me your name."_

_The boy smiled a sad smile, a tear escaping from his eye, "My name is one you already know. Besides you never told me yours. Now go to your friends." He pointed into the distance where everyone stood waiting for them. Yang held Neo by the shoulders as the two waved at them. Blake and Weiss stood to the side, eagerly chatting with Ren and Nora while Pyrrha and Jaune sparred near a large picnic._

_Keeper looked back at the boy as he dissolved into flower petals, his last act a knowing wink to Keeper._

"_What are you guys doing over there? We can't start the picnic without you." Yang hollered as Keeper stepped next to Ruby._

"_Never been on a date in a dream." He told her with a smile, trying to cheer her up._

"_Then let's make this our first of many." She turned to him, a few tears marring her smiling face. He kissed them away and took her hand in his. She started towards the picnic, leading him towards their friends._


	19. Chapter 19

**A Shattered Dream**

Blake was unsure of where she was. She was wrapped up in sheets and she couldn't tell which way was out. All Blake could remember was Yang and Weiss arguing in an attempt to win the room for the night while she sat in bed. _Did I fall asleep and one of them cover me?_ She thought as she decided to try rolling out of bed. She expected the covers to stay and untangle, but when they didn't, it was too late for Blake to stop herself. She felt herself falling, but she couldn't properly land without being free of the covers. She hit the floor with some force, suggesting she had been in an upper bunk.

"Blake's awake. And she didn't land on her feet." Neo's voice reached Blake through the fabric. She wasn't going to respond to the joke until she was certain of what had happened.

"You think she's better from last night?" Weiss asked as a certain dog started to sniff around the cloth prison Blake was in.

"The only way to check is to get her out of Ruby's covers." Yang said, as something hit the floor next to Blake. Probably her blonde partner, she guessed.

"Is that a good idea?" Weiss inquired, sounding a little uncertain to Blake's ears.

"I'm fine. Now let me out of this stupid tangle!" She told them, wriggling in an attempt to escape the sheets and covers Ruby used. The tangle of bedcovers was proof of Ruby's less than stellar attitude towards making her bed.

She heard the grunts of Yang's exertion and finally felt the cloth prison start to loosen. She found herself staring at her friends when she emerged from the covers. Yang was bundling up Ruby's things and tossing them back up onto her bed. Neo was in Yang's bunk, looking down an apologetic smile that held her normal amount of smugness. Weiss was sitting up in Blake's bed, holding Zwei in front of her like a shield. _Wait, what?_

"Get him out of my bed. There had better not be any his fur in it or so help me…" Blake warned Weiss. The heiress immediately set down Zwei and jumped up to hug Blake.

"Oh it's good to have you back." Weiss told as her arms encircled Blake. She didn't know how to respond to Weiss's unexpected expression of affection, automatically returning it. Yang and Neo watched the moment with some mild surprise. They weren't prepared for Weiss to act so nice.

"Thanks. But what happened?" Blake wondered as Weiss let go.

"You don't remember what happened?" Yang asked cautiously, knowing there could be repercussions if they weren't careful.

"No, so tell me what happened." Blake crossed her arms, looking at the three girls.

"Well, Nora issued her challenge to you and it seems it's over." Weiss told her, relieved to have her normal Blake back.

"And what was it?"

"She threw so much catnip in here, you got a little… out of it." Neo diplomatically answered, wanting to save the blackmail for Yang's special "Favors Owed" collection. Not that Yang needed help adding to it.

"Oh. Great." Blake did her best to hide her embarrassment and disappointment with herself. She might be a cat-Faunus, but that didn't mean she had to adhere to every stereotype, even if the plant was some of most wonderful…tasty… perfect-smelling…._Get a hold of yourself Blake_. She admonished herself.

"On the bright side, we kept you from doing anything too crazy." Yang told her, full of her usual cheer.

"I'm going to regret this but please explain it in full detail." Blake requested.

"Well, Nora threw in the catnip, you got high and then tried to jump Weiss's frosty ass. We solved that by throwing water on the two of you, but it got her bed. Then we corralled you in Ruby's bed with Zwei's help." Neo said, not mentioning the timeframes. Weiss gave her a look for the comment but kept any cutting words back for the moment. They had silently agreed to keep Blake in the dark about how bad it had really been.

"Is that all?"

"Like Yang said, we stopped you from doing anything too crazy."

* * *

Ruby woke up but kept her eyes shut to let the last vestiges of her strange dreams cling in her memories. She reached out for Keeper, but couldn't feel him anywhere in the bed. She opened her eyes, and turned to see him slipping back into the room through the door.

"Where did you go?" She asked as he got back in bed next to her. They quickly laid back down, having no reason not to.

"Just doing Nora's challenge. It's all taken care of, with nothing embarrassing or casualties of any kind." He told her, slipping his arms around her. "We've got time until breakfast so let's go back to sleep."

"Did you have a strange dream last night?" She asked, trying to remember anything specific from it. Keeper's arms rubbed her gently with long strokes up and down her back and sides, his touch a ghostly warmth across her body.

"Did it involve having a picnic with everyone and Weiss managing to not strangle Neo and Yang for all the jokes?" Keeper mumbled, half-asleep already. For an excitable and energetic person, he always seemed to need more sleep than he let on.

"I thought you were there. So it was a shared dream then." She mused, "Do you remember anything before the picnic?"

"Being very cold and feeling alone. I might have been standing near Weiss." Even when he was tired, Keeper tried to joke. A rather tasteless joke in Ruby's opinion, but her partner and her boyfriend were still kind of standoffish. Ruby reached up and flicked him on the nose. It worked when they trained Zwei and she figured it would work here to train him to get along with Weiss. "Ow! I was serious. Other than the Weiss thing. She's definitely warmer than I first thought she was. Like the difference between polar ice and a frozen ice cream cone." Another flick and wince of pain. "Is this the part when the relationship turns abusive?" Another flick. "I give up. I renounce my evil ways of joking about Weiss! Just please stop. You know my nose is sensitive."

Satisfied he had learned his lesson, Ruby turned to make herself more comfortable in his arms. "I remember being afraid of something in my dream, but I don't know what it was."

"Maybe we had nightmares and just ended up dreaming so hard that we accidently created a shared good dream to counter the nightmares."

"You think?"

Keeper planted a light kiss on Ruby's lips before he answered, "Maybe. It's only been my second dream. But you have nothing to fear. As long as we have each other, nothing can stop us."

* * *

Everyone came to breakfast, eager to start the day since it was the day of the Vytal Festival Ball. Team RWBY reunited as Ruby and Keeper sat in their usual spots right next to each other. Neo sat in her spot across from Keeper on the same side as Team JNPR.

"Wow, I'm surprised either of you can walk this morning." Yang told them with a smirk, "We gave you all that time alone and a big empty room…"

"Maybe it's because we have speed semblances, and that means we have incredible stamina recovery and endurance." Keeper replied automatically. Weiss put her head in her hands and groaned. She really didn't enjoy these pointless banters between everyone about sex. Especially after her night. "Sorry, Weiss." Keeper apologized before focusing on his breakfast.

When he looked up, eight people sat frozen in shock as Ruby smiled at him. "What?" Everyone unfroze at the question.

Neo stretched herself to place her hand on Keeper's forehead. "You don't have more of a fever than you usually do. Did you hit your head doing something acrobatic or what? You apologized to Weiss and it sounded sincere."

"Yeah," Weiss chimed in, "I'm not falling for this if you think you can set me up for one of your jokes."

"I'm not joking." Keeper huffed, "I'm trying to be nice. It's not like I dislike you Weiss, I just don't know how to be your friend. So Ruby's taken it upon herself to train me in the right way to go about it." Ruby nodded in confirmation before giving him a quick hug for good behavior and returning to her food.

Yang started to chuckle as everyone else processed the response. "I knew you were whipped, but I didn't know you were that whipped!" Keeper didn't hesitate to flick Yang on the nose as hard as he could. "Ow! What was that for? I thought we had a truce that allowed for teasing." She asked as she rubbed the sore spot. Neo kicked Keeper under the table for the flick but he didn't acknowledge it.

"Teasing is one thing. Criticizing the power balance in a relationship is something completely different." He replied before turning his attention to Weiss. "Weiss, you're taking Ruby shopping for new heels since she broke hers, right?"

"Don't know why I need Lady-Stilts." Ruby muttered into her nearly finished breakfast.

"Because your dress looks best with them. Besides, how else will you look him in the eyes when you kiss?" Weiss told her. Ruby quietly blushed while Keeper snuck in a quick hug of his own, before smiling at Weiss. Then his expression became focused on the heiress.

When he continued to stare at her, she became rather uncomfortable. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out your color." He replied, clasping his hands in front of his face in concentration.

Everyone looked at him like he had gone mad. Which he might have. "Explanation please?" Jaune asked, unnerved by the intensity of the gaze, even if it wasn't directed at him.

"Weiss's eyes. They're too pale to be sky-blue, but not pale enough to be a gray-blue. I'm trying to think of how I would have to mix paints to make that color." He explained with a sigh. "The Painter's Dilemma: Do you stay true to the colors you see or do you accept the limits of your materials? My answer is always to stay true. Sometimes I'm too stubborn but I'm not looking to change."

"Oh." Everyone had forgotten that he painted since they hadn't seen him actually practicing the craft since he had come to school. Except for Neo but he didn't exactly share his work with her.

Ruby seemed contemplative before she gave her own response, "Have you considered a cerulean base before mixing?"

Keeper's eyes widened before he planted a kiss on her forehead, "You're a genius, you know?"

"Wait. Why does it matter what color my eyes are?" Weiss asked, suspicion narrowing her eyes. While he was claiming to be turning over a new leaf, this was Keeper; the sibling of a Yang doppelganger.

"Special gift for after finals. Which reminds me that we need to organize study groups for next week in preparation." He said, reminding them that they only had another week before finals started.

"Don't tell us that, the festival's still going! Everyone run before Keeper sucks all the fun out of today!" Yang declared, bolting away with Neo quickly following as she giggled. The others followed Yang's lead, joining in on the fun.

Soon enough Keeper found himself sitting alone at the table wondering what he had done wrong. "I thought everyone wanted to pass this semester."

* * *

Roman was rather surprised when he managed to crack the security on the Beacon cameras.

"For a top-notch school, their security doesn't meet expectations." Roman muttered to himself. He started searching for Neo using the cameras, eventually finding her in a courtyard holding hands with a certain blonde girl. Roman had known Neo was a lesbian, and had accepted that long ago. But what he couldn't quite understand was how Neo had managed to charm the blonde after they had nearly killed each other. Then again, it was par for the course for Neo. He wasn't too surprised when they took a seat on a bench and started to kiss. But it was when they stopped to talk that he got really interested.

He found an audio function and turned it on, eavesdropping in on the two.

* * *

"What's the matter butterfly? You didn't try to steal my tonsils this time." Yang joked with sincere concern. They might have been dating for only a few weeks, but she already knew a lot about her former rival and current lover than she could have expected.

"It's a bunch of things. Since Monday night…" Neo trailed off, uncertain of how to continue.

"Is this about Torchwick? Or something else?"

"A little of both. It's just… if Papa knew what really happened after he got arrested, there would be no way he would stay with Cinder." She replied, pink and white eyes directed at the ground.

"Are you saying that if he knew the truth, he would turn himself in like you did?"

Neo chuckled and shook her head, eyes flashing to brown and pink, "I sincerely doubt that. If Keeper didn't have all that weird magnetic charisma and I hadn't been so desperate, I doubt I would have ended up here."

Yang planted a quick kiss on Neo's cheek before she replied, "Remind me to thank him then. But what are you going to do once the semester is over? Do you have anywhere to go?"

Neo thought about it. She hadn't even considered what would happen during breaks and holidays. "I don't know. Papa is the only real family I've had my whole life, but I can't exactly spend the summer with him."

Yang grinned one of her trademarked grins, "Well then I guess you're spending the summer with Ruby and me at our house."

"But…"

"No buts. No girlfriend of mine is going to be out in the cold while I have a say."

"It's not even summer, but I see the sun has already cooked everything in your head to a blond crisp." Yang rolled her eyes.

"You're ruining the moment. Plus it will be good for you to meet our dad and uncle." Yang looked at her scroll when it buzzed at her. "Oh man, we need to go meet up with Weiss and Ruby to head down to Vale. And you need to pick up that tux you ordered online." The two stood up, glad to have had the chance to talk about serious things without interruptions.

* * *

Roman couldn't believe his ears. This was the chance he needed to get the answers he so desperately wanted. But now the hard part would be getting Neo away from the sorority of kicking-his-ass long enough to talk in Vale.

With a slight smile to himself, he started planning his next move. It was his special skill anyways.

* * *

Keeper was hanging out with Jaune and Ren in his room since the two boys had been kicked out of their dorm while Pyrrha and Nora got ready for the dance.

"Why do they need that much time? Weiss, Ruby, Yang, and Neo aren't even going to be back until after lunch at least." Keeper commented as he looked away from the ammunition he was working on. Ren shrugged, not understanding either.

"It's a girl thing," Jaune piped up from his spot at the table with his X-Ray and Vav comic still open, "My guess is they're applying a fresh coat of nail polish and giving each pedicures."

"Is your childhood as the odd one out giving you some feminine insight?" Keeper asked, shuddering at the thought of having seven sisters. Kira was enough of a handful before Yang and Neo had become part of his life. Now there were three sides of the same coin to contend with, even if that broke the metaphor but it got his dilemma across.

"Says the guy dealing with three Yangs." Jaune countered. Keeper could have sworn he kept that thought to himself.

"Three is less than seven."

"His logic is sound." Ren told Jaune.

A buzzing scroll made them turn while Keeper looked to see who was calling him. Recognizing it as an old friend, he put it on speaker.

"Hey Siessa, you're on speaker with me and two of my friends here." Keeper said, walking over to the table to join Ren and Jaune.

"Glad to know you've forgotten about us so quickly." Siessa replied, "I'm kidding. I was calling to see if you wanted to meet up on a little scouting mission nearby. I've got two trainees with me and I think an old pro like you might be able to teach them some tricks."

"Says the current head of the Scouting Corps. Is it okay if I bring some friends along?" Keeper unconsciously motioned to the other two, making them realize he was talking about them.

"Sure. The more the merrier. Saturday good?"

"I don't have any plans."

"I'll send the coordinates." Siessa hung up on that note. Keeper pocketed his scroll and looked at them.

"You up for a guy's day out?" He asked looking at them.

"On our last free weekend before finals? I don't know." Jaune contemplated what else he could do on Saturday.

"Same here." Ren said. He just wasn't in the best of moods since Nora had nearly suffocated him with her pillow last night. But Ren could forgive that because of how cuddly Nora was when she apologized.

Keeper decided to cheat and used his puppy-dog eyes and the saddest expression he could muster. "C'mon guys. We won't be gone all day and it'll be fun. I promise." Ren gagged and fell at the sudden assault. Jaune tried to fall back on his childhood training against the secret weapon, but when he realized he could only resist a girl's attack with the teary eyes, it was too late.

"All right! God, how do you manage to use that? I thought guys couldn't do it effectively." Jaune held his hands up protectively. Ren simply nodded. Now that he had won, Keeper stopped and smiled.

"Anybody can use them on anyone, it's just about learning the proper technique. And as you know, I have had a lot of time to learn it. Plus, it's one of the few tricks people never expect me to have." Keeper reminded them.

"I swear, we need to put a warning sign on you." Jaune replied. Keeper gave an appreciative nod to Jaune.

"Agreed." Ren said as he recovered from the surprise attack. Keeper shrugged. It was a fair as far as he was concerned.

"You'll thank me when you have to do the practical final after all the tests are done." Keeper mentioned before going back to his ammunition project. When he felt two gazes burning through his back, he turned around. "What?"

"What do you mean practical final?" Ren inquired, knowing Keeper was withholding something.

"Exactly what I said. All first-years have a practical final after their written exams. Coco told Kira all about it." Keeper explained, a smile on his face. He liked to be in the know, especially since lifetimes of experiences was one of his greatest skills.

"Wait, Coco and Kira talked to each other?" Jaune asked. He hadn't seen the second-year team leader since they had gotten back.

Keeper rolled his eyes at Jaune's inability to anticipate things. _Jaune you may be a combat tactician, but you are not prepared for civilian life_. "Why wouldn't two fashionistas end up talking to each other? I'm willing to bet Kira has Coco on her list of favorite customers by now. But yeah, straight from the mouth of a second-year. Practical final after written tests."

"What does the practical final entail?" Ren wondered. He was an intellectual, and even with all their training, his stamina was rather sub-par for his team. He needed whatever edge he could get.

"It's essentially a weekend-long worst-case scenario. Friday afternoon they drop us off deep in the forest with nothing but our weapons. No scrolls, no supplies, no bedrolls, nothing. Then we have to reach the rendezvous point by Sunday night or we fail."

"Wait, how are we supposed to find anything without our scrolls?" Jaune asked, nervous at the idea of wandering around in a Grimm-infested forest with no way to call for help.

"I'd be more worried about the fact that we don't have supplies. Hunger and dehydration kill faster if you have to fight constantly and I doubt most of you know how to survive without modern conveniences. We'll be with our teams so there's no worry about being solo against any Grimm. But we get told where we're supposed to go when they drop us and we have to navigate our way through the forest. Oh, and no alliances apparently. We have to fight teams if we come across them, no matter what. Survival of the fittest I guess." Jaune and Ren gulped at that exposition. This wasn't sounding good.

"And your scouting friend, he can teach us enough in a single day?" Ren hesitantly asked.

"Of course. He's a professional."

"Then count us in!" Jaune said overenthusiastically. It was in his team's best interest anyways.

* * *

Weiss, Yang, and Neo were sitting next to each other as Ruby walked around the shoe store like a newborn deer, barely keeping her balance in the six-inch heels she was currently wearing since the floor was tile. A terrible design choice for a shoe store, but more fun for them to watch.

Neo looked at Ruby, then at Yang, then Yang's shoes before smiling. "I just figured it out."

The blonde and the white-haired girl looked at her, unsure of what she was talking about. "Care to explain?" Weiss asked, looking away just as Ruby managed to recover from nearly slipping.

"Yang doesn't wear heels either. So Ruby never learned from her."

Yang sulked, "Heels don't work you're already tall. Plus I need my feet firmly planted to fight, unlike you." Ruby slipped, this time landing splayed before using some shelves to pull herself back up.

"And poor Weiss failed to aid her team leader." Neo couldn't help but smirk. She knew how to push people's buttons and she enjoyed it.

"Hey!" Weiss complained at the pointed follow-up.

"Leaving her to be taught by her boyfriend, a guy that everyone thought was imaginary but just so happened to be actually real." Neo looked over just in time to see Ruby manage to take a confidently large step before falling flat on her face. She couldn't stop a little of her laughter at the sight from slipping out. The other two looked over at Ruby and realized what had made Neo laugh, and did their best not to let out their own laughs.

"Is there a point to this?" Weiss inquired, not enjoying all the teasing. _But it is fun to spend time with friends_, she mentally admitted.

"Yes. Just noting how the old saying about how 'it takes a village' is total bull. It just took a guy from a Village." Neo chuckled to herself as Yang of all people rolled her eyes at the pun. Weiss just gave her usual huff while Ruby made her way over to them.

"What are you guys talking about?" The silver-eyed girl asked the three of them. Yang wisely pulled Ruby down to sit next to them, before recounting the conversation. "Well Neo's not wrong. But maybe I should try shorter heels?" She pointed to the shoes she was currently wearing.

Taking a second to consider the request, the three nodded and dashed off to find something to match her dress and not leave her stumbling around. Once Ruby was alone, she sighed. "I bet Blake doesn't have to put up with this."

* * *

"Hey Blake!" She looked up from her book to see who had invaded her peaceful reading spot. She saw Keeper, Ren, and Jaune all looking up at her in the crook of the tree's branches, seemingly fascinated by her position nearly forty feet up in the tree.

"What do you want? I'm trying to read." She called down to them, emphasizing it by waving her book at them.

Keeper squinted, and Blake got the odd sense he was trying to read it but she knew it was too far away for any human to see any text clearly, even the technically human boy. "Isn't that the new book by the author of 'Ninjas of Love'? The one about the princess who falls in love with a female assassin hired by her enemies but instead they become secret lovers because the king doesn't approve of his daughter's choice?" Blake turned a brilliant shade of red as she realized he had somehow seen the book's cover. And the entire plot apparently. Blake now had many more questions for Keeper.

"You can't prove that!" Blake fired back, embarrassed as Jaune and Ren did their best to hold back a slight chuckle at her response. It had been nothing but pleasant surprises and playfully teasing Blake and Weiss for them since they had heard about their relationship. And today was no exception.

"I have eyes, and just because I'm close to human doesn't mean my vision sucks like theirs." Keeper ignored the indignant "not cool" from Ren and Jaune. He gave his best smile as he pulled out his scroll. He took a picture and quickly sent it to Weiss, captioned 'Blake needs inspiration for next time.' He decided to ignore Weiss's response when his scroll buzzed at her electronic reply.

"You still haven't answered the question. Why did you bother me?" Blake tried to direct the conversation away from her choice of literature.

"I had two questions. Do you know about the practical final?"

"Yes. I asked Velvet about it months ago and we've incorporated it into our training." Blake rolled her eyes before jumping down to them. "I'm guessing you three only just found out."

"As if." Jaune played it off.

"Not true." Keeper responded.

"Jaune's lying. Keeper just told him this morning." Ren pointed out. Blake nodded to him as thanks before rounding on a betrayed looking Jaune.

"Thanks for the honesty Ren, I know I can count on you. You should know better Jaune. But what's the second question?" Blake looked from the blonde knight to the last of the three boys bothering her.

"I'll give you a choice in what my second question is." He replied. Blake recognized the conniving smile he had from the countless times Yang had used it to trick her.

"You're worse than Yang sometimes. Go ahead."

"Okay. Do you want to tell us why you smell like catnip or how you and Weiss happened?" Keeper knew what he was instigating, but he wanted to sincerely know.

"Nope." Blake turned away, walking off rather than answer the questions.

"Oh c'mon. We all know how everyone has gotten together except you two." Jaune pleaded while they gave chase.

"I'm going to let the fact that you two are on the same team as the girl that drugged me behind if … any of you can tell me what the hell Yang sees in Neo." Blake paused, mildly flustered and very annoyed. So many things were wrapped up in her head and it was bothering her.

"I'm guessing this has something to do with the fact that Neo and Torchwick are family? And you have a problem with that?" Keeper inferred. He knew it was a danger of having Neo around, but figured Blake would be able to move past it.

"Yes." Blake simply replied. _They wouldn't understand_. She thought to herself.

"Well, it's the same thing I'm guessing Weiss saw in you… hope for change."

* * *

"So your plan was to take me by force? And you were going to cut off my clothes on the train as part of that?" Yang repeated, pointing her strawberry ice cream filled spoon at Neo. Instead of replying, Neo lunged forward and cleaned the spoon of its ice cream like an expert. Yang took back her spoon, disappointed she hadn't gotten the spoonful.

"You should really know better." Weiss admonished the blonde, looking up from her vanilla gelato. Ruby nodded in agreement when she looked from her own ice cream treat, a double scoop of cookie dough, to watch as Neo nodded her reply to Yang.

"And maybe hurt you a little so I could play "hot nurse" for you. I'm sorry, but it was the only way I could think of at the time. We weren't on the same side, but I liked you too much to let you go without trying something to get your attention. Plus, it would have saved some time later." Neo apologized into her hot fudge sundae.

"Because naked kidnapping is romantic." Weiss commented. It sounded like something out of Blake's romance novels that she had let Weiss borrow from time to time. Not that Weiss would admit to that.

"I think it's kind of sweet. Wanting someone so much that you would do anything to get them to notice you." Ruby said, having finished the first scoop of ice cream.

"You just started dating and suddenly you're an expert on love?" Weiss questioned, shaking her head.

"Well, I've always been someone who's looking for an adventure." Yang gave her most lecherous grin, making Neo blush at the thought of Yang tied up. She might just try it sometime when they were alone.

Luckily the other two didn't understand Yang's innuendo or in Weiss's case, completely ignored it. Neo took a large scoop of her treat, but some of the fudge slipped off and landed on her top.

"I'll get a napkin." Yang said as she stood up. Weiss and Ruby watched as Yang came back with a handful of the thin papers and started to dab at the impending chocolate stain. What the three of them failed to notice was Yang slipping a napkin under her dish of strawberry ice cream while they joined in to rescue Neo's shirt.

Once they were satisfied with the cleaning and went back to idly chatting, Yang stealthily looked at the message:

_Dearie, you've always been a messy ice cream eater so I know you'll end up getting this. Meet me in the alley ASAP._

_-Roman_

Yang crushed the napkin in her hand and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom."

* * *

After enjoying lunch with the three guys, Blake made her way to the library to read some more before everyone else came back to get ready for the dance.

_Hope of change? What is that supposed to mean?_ Blake couldn't get what Keeper had said out of her mind.

Had she changed since coming to Beacon? _Yes_. But who hadn't? Ruby had grown up a lot. Possibly a little too much. Yang had gained some self-control. And Weiss had gotten a lot less cold to people.

Just thinking about Weiss's emotional thaw made Blake remember how everything had snowballed over the winter break.

_Blake looked at Weiss, surprised the heiress wasn't going home to Atlas for the break. But it wasn't going to interfere with Blake's plans. _

"_So no plans for the break?" Weiss asked, trying to strike up a conversation. Blake decided to humor her, since it was the first time they would actually talk when they were alone. Alone with Weiss, the thought sent a shiver through Blake. Ever since she had realized she had a crush on Weiss, it only made her feelings worse. If only the heiress hadn't apologized after the battle of the docks, if Blake wasn't a lesbian, if…. All that she could think of was the ifs._

"_Blake? You okay?" Weiss's voice snapped her out of her whirling thoughts._

"_Huh? Fine. Just wondering what Yang and Ruby are going to do without us to rein them in."_

_Weiss snorted and rolled her eyes, "They'll be fine. If you don't stop worrying, you'll get an ulcer."_

"_Says the team worrywart." Blake bantered, glad to verbally spar with someone who could hold their own._

_Weiss knew what was going on, and decided to go along with it. It would make her teammate happy. "Which is why you and I are going shopping together tomorrow, and I won't take no as an answer."_

_Blake's eyes widened and her heart started to pound. Did Weiss know what she was doing to her? "But Weiss…" She started to reply._

"_No buts. It's a date, and I'm not letting you break it."_

_And that became their secret. Whenever they would schedule study sessions together, they would actually go out and continue to work on being better friends. But for Blake, it came as a surprise when Weiss confided in her enough to tell her that she was actually bisexual. Which had done nothing to stop Blake's feelings about Weiss. _

Blake shook her head free of the memories, and realized she had wandered into a private study room without anything to read.

"Stupid guys and their questions." She muttered as she returned to shelves, directing her focus to the search for a good read.

* * *

Roman was getting bored waiting in the back alley behind the ice cream shop. Once he'd managed to follow Neo to the shop and slip the note into the napkins, he figured it would be ten minutes at the most. But now it was going on twenty minutes and still no sign of her.

"Torchwick." Roman groaned as he turned around to see Neo's blonde girlfriend staring him down.

"Wow Blondie, stealing Neo's note and coming to confront me on your own? Maybe you are two are meant to be after all." He told her with as much wit as he could manage. The blonde huffed, and raised a fist at him, showing her wrist-mounted weapons. "I'm not in the mood for a scrap so put it away."

Yang did, and crossed her arms. "I'm here to know what your plan was for Neo. And if you try anything, everybody will come running."

Roman rolled his eyes at the obvious threat, but knew it was the only option. "I wanted to talk to her about what happened. Find out why the world took a faceplant between my invite to the slammer and getting out."

"That has a rather simple answer. Cinder tried to kill Neo after you were gone and we ended up rescuing her." Roman stared blankly at her, the answer not making sense.

"I'm sorry, did you just say she tried to kill Neo? And you and your little friends rescued her?" Roman's gaze found Yang's eyes, fire burning in them with an intensity that managed to surprise Yang.

Yang shifted under the burning look, rather uncomfortable to not be the one using it. "Yeah, she sent a bunch of White Fang after her and Ruby's boyfriend, the one you tried to have killed, happened to get her out of there and healed her voice so she could speak. You're welcome for that."

Roman shook his head, his usual cheer crushed under a much darker emotion. "This is why I hate you do-gooders. You're honest, self-sacrificing, and you would do whatever it took to put things right. So would you do a parent a favor and keep her out of trouble?" He turned to leave, and felt something inside his jacket move. Reaching in, he pulled out the object and had a secret smile at the memories it brought back. "And give her this." He tossed it to Yang, who watched it sail right to her. She caught it, not quite believing what she was holding. A pink and brown bear, its colors perfectly split down its middle and faded from years of loving use. She looked up from it, but didn't find Roman anywhere in the alley.

She wordlessly took the bear and hid it behind her back while she went back inside to the table where her friends were waiting.

* * *

When the four girls finally returned to Beacon, they were greeted by the sight of the three guys in their friend group sitting in the hallway between the RWBY and JNPR dorms playing poker. And Jaune was losing terribly.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked, noting that scraps of folded paper were being used in the place of betting chips.

"Jaune and Ren got forced out of their dorm and we've run out of things to do, so we're playing favor poker." Keeper replied before revealing his hand, "Full house," showing a pair of eights and three fours.

"Flush." Ren responded with as Jaune groaned and threw down his hand. Keeper only raised an eyebrow but didn't respond while Ren took the pot and added it to his pile.

"And how does this 'favor poker' work?" Neo asked, mentally brewing new ideas for personal fun.

"Its name says it all. The level of favors are limited by the group playing first, so in our case it was nothing more than pieces of candy because we didn't have anything else." Jaune replied while he shuffled up the cards and dealt them out.

"Aww that's no fun! Make it strip poker." Yang tried to beg, making the others look at her with annoyance.

The three players looked at each other and shared a quick look before unanimously replying "No."

The door to the JNPR dorm opened, and Nora stuck her head out, her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"I thought I heard people!" She exclaimed, totally ignoring the three sitting boys in favor of the returning shoppers. "Don't worry, no challenges before or during the dance!" With that said, she slammed the door closed again, leaving Jaune and Ren high and dry.

"Well that plan spectacularly failed." Keeper told them as he shoved all of his favor chips into the pot. Not to be outdone, the others ante'd up and went all in. The girls watched, wondering why the guys would do something to end their game with so much time until they needed to be ready for the dance.

"Two pair." Ren said, revealing his hand.

"Straight flush." Keeper followed suit, tasting victory in his sweet tooth.

"Four of a kind." Jaune smiled as his two opponents, who were dumbfounded by Jaune's sudden and decisive victory. He used the opportunity to sweep up the candy set aside for the winner of the game since Keeper and Ren were too stunned to do more than watch.

"Hey Ren," Keeper looked at his fellow poker master, who nodded, "I think we just got played." Ren's nod was followed by a two-man death stare right at Jaune. The four girls decided now was the best time to leave before they got drawn in. However Jaune's fearful gaze turned to them, pleading for help. But rather than give a reply, they ducked into the RWBY dorm to avoid whatever mess Jaune had just gotten himself into.

They could hear Jaune's cry for help as Ren and Keeper chased him down for cheating them out of their hard-earned sweets while Neo headed back out to go watch for her own amusement.

* * *

Once it was time to change for the dance, they agreed to meet up at the statue fountain. Neo and Keeper arrived first, not needing as much time since there was only two of them and they both were wearing tuxes.

"Didn't think they would have a tux for you." Keeper commented, appraising the all-white suit and heeled boots that Neo was wearing.

"Says you, Mr. Casual-Every-Day. You needed me to tie your tie." Neo rebutted, making Keeper look away in embarrassment.

"I normally wear clip-ons." He muttered as justification, glad that his suit from Kira would match both of Ruby's dresses thanks to some collaboration between their older sisters. Conspiracy might have been a better word when those two were involved.

Team JNPR arrived next, Jaune and Ren escorting their girlfriends, wearing the same things they had worn to the Beacon dance.

"And now to wait on the fashionably late." Neo told the arriving group, looking for any sign of the missing team. She couldn't wait to see what kind of reaction they would get when Keeper saw the surprise in store for him.

When they noticed Weiss, Blake, and Yang walking towards them, the only one who wasn't surprised by Ruby's absence was Neo.

"I think you forgot someone." Jaune told them while Neo skipped up to hug Yang and sneak a grope of the blonde's ass. Yang didn't even jump since it was Neo's favorite thing to do when they were around their friends. The petite girl was quite insatiable, and particularly shameless in her public displays to show off what was hers.

"Oh no, we didn't forget anything." Blake told him, glad that Weiss had filled her in on the plan.

"She's about this tall," Keeper held his hand around his chin, "loves the color red and her scythe, and can barely walk in heels." He looked at Neo and Yang for an explanation while they only smiled under the scrutiny. Jaune and the others joined in the look at the two mischief makers.

"Did you look behind you?" A voice told Keeper, who sighed and turned around in preparation for a prank. Then promptly fell back onto his back in surprise since Ruby was standing there looking him square in the eyes.

Once he recovered some sense, he noticed Ruby was wearing four-inch heels and standing on a raised flagstone. "Scared me for a second. I thought you had a serious growth spurt."

"Nope." She offered her hand to help him up, stepping gracefully down from her spot. After helping a stunned Keeper to his feet, Ruby smiled while she wrapped her arms around his to make sure he could stand.

"When did Ruby learn how to walk in heels?" Jaune questioned, remembering how awkward Ruby had been wearing them for the last dance she had worn them for.

"Thank Neo for finishing Ruby's training. She's a real master of heels and bothered to teach Ruby a few tricks so she could get away with wearing them tonight." Yang told them, squeezing the shorter girl affectionately. She also didn't miss her chance to return Neo's favorite greeting.

"One night in them is enough for me. Though I still want my cloak." Ruby replied, sticking her tongue out when everyone laughed at her response.

"So who's paying for the air- and cab-fare?" Keeper inquired, having wisely recalled the last time they tried to make the walk into town wearing formal clothes and having called ahead to arrange transportation. When everyone looked at him dumbly, he realized his mistake. "Of course."

* * *

"I'm telling you, it wasn't my fault." Neo told them on the return ride to Beacon. Ruby and Keeper ignored her protests as Yang stared her girlfriend down.

"Right." The blonde said, expression fixed in mild disappointment. It had been a fun night for everyone up until the incident. Neo sent one of her secret eye color signals to Keeper, making him turn to the quarrel and prepare his response.

Keeper cleared his throat, garnering their attention. "Actually, it's nobody's fault. The table with the punch bowl on it collapsed on its own, and only some of the people in line slipped in the mess." He and Ruby had been nearby during the incident in question and could verify Neo had done nothing wrong. At least that they had seen.

"I'll believe you if we get your dorm for the night." Yang crossed her arms, throwing her ultimatum out. Ruby and Keeper shared a slightly confused look while Neo paled to more than her usual lack of color. Neo just wasn't expecting Yang to be that forward. That was her job.

"Fine. I'll be sleeping on the roof then. There's no rain in the forecast and I found this really cozy spot for stargazing anyways." Keeper nonchalantly replied which made Yang smirk, Neo cringe, and Ruby grab his arm.

"You can't just sleep on the roof! You can stay with me." Ruby pointed out.

"Thanks, but it's not like we need to spend every night in the same bed. If you get too comfortable with it, what will you do over break? Not sleep?"

Ruby looked down, slightly flushed with embarrassment, "No! I just wanted to tonight that's all."

"We'll compromise. Yang, can I use your bunk since you won't?" Keeper directed his question to the blonde, who had been making faces at Neo in an attempt to keep something from being overheard.

"Sure. At the cost of bonus time tomorrow morning." She said, pulling Neo close as the petite girl started to quiver in anticipation. At the rate they were negotiating, they might have the room the whole weekend before they reached Beacon.

"I'm really not going to care either way, so why not?" Was his flippant reply. Yang was glad she'd set up the little mishap. It gave her a chance to confront Neo without any worries of interruptions.

* * *

Blake and Weiss were dumbfounded when they found out the bizarre arrangement for the night. Keeper was sitting on Yang's bunk while Ruby looked across the gap, visibly saddened.

"I'm one-hundred percent sure he's sick. First the whole breakfast incident, then the questions during lunch, and now this." Blake stated, looking at Weiss for verification.

"I'm just glad he has some self-restraint. They've had too much time together in my opinion. If they're not careful they could turn into one of 'those' couples." Weiss remarked before sitting on her bed.

"Frankly, I'm not surprised you have such an aversion to me and Ruby spending so much time together." Keeper blandly spoke from his spot, choosing to look at the ceiling as if to ignore everything else, "But when you consider we barely spend time together alone, you should really not be surprised that Ruby and I are very public with our affections. Though I imagine it makes you slightly jealous since you can't due to your family's reputation and views."

"Yep. He's sick." Blake confirmed for herself before Weiss considered stabbing the boy for his bluntness. "I'm taking him to the infirmary for testing." Blake had him by the foot before he could object, and he was roughly pulled to the floor as Blake left the room with Keeper being forcefully dragged away.

* * *

Torchwick looked around to make sure no one could see him before he ducked into his office. Thinking back to his conversation with Neo's blonde, he knew the only way to find out the truth.

He took out a small radio, clicking its power to on. "Hey, Perry. I need you to check on something for me…"

* * *

Yang reached into the duffel bag she had brought with her, and looked at Neo. _Should I really be the one doing this?_ She questioned herself, feeling bad about what had happened. But who was going to blame her for being protective?

"Hey Neo, I've got something for you." Her hand closed around Roman's gift, still hidden in the duffel.

"What is it?" Neo was in the middle of undressing, her tux jacket, vest, and undershirt already off. She turned to Yang to see what it could possibly be. Neo wasn't prepared for Yang to pull out her old teddy bear, the one thing Neo had never believed she would see again. "Mister Icy!" She practically teleported next to Yang, hugging the old stuffed animal to her chest while doing her best not to swoon and dance around the room. "Where…? How…?"

"The answers would be that your dad and I had a run-in and he wanted me to deliver it to you." Yang told her, smiling at the child-like joy of Neo's reunion with her childhood favorite.

"When did you see him?" Neo stopped herself and turned to Yang with a pleading look. "Did he look okay?"

"At the ice cream shop of all places. Literally ran into him on my way there and nearly knocked his block off but thankfully I didn't. He wanted me to give you this since it was too dangerous for you to meet in person since he's still wanted. Don't worry though, he's fine." Yang hated to lie but she knew it was for Neo's own good. _Probably the same thing Roman would say_, she thought with some disgust. _Maybe I do fit in with the crime family_.

"Thanks. It's nice to know I have such a caring girlfriend." Neo kissed the blonde's nose, standing on her tiptoes to do so. Yang gave her a quick kiss back before Neo gave a tug on her belt, indicating the need to move to the bed and continue.

Yang and Neo worked together, stripping each other while they kissed. Yang soon had Neo down to just her panties, the smaller girl pulling Yang's shorts out of the way after finishing with all of Yang's upper clothes. They had their hands in each other's underwear when a knock on the door made them freeze.

"No one's in, so no problem." Keeper's voice reached them through the door. Yang and Neo started scrambling, their clothing and the bedsheets already too far away for them to be spared if he opened the door. Even Neo didn't actually want to be caught by her friends in the middle of her time with Yang.

"Will you calm down and tell me what's wrong with you? Something is clearly bothering you." Blake's voice made them pause in their manic haste, confused as to why they would both be at the dorm's door.

"Not yet. I need to pick up some things." With that said, they heard the door unlock and Neo reacted. She threw up an illusion of an empty and made bed, hiding any sign that she or Yang were in the room. They watched from behind the illusion as Keeper led Blake in, the usual smile missing from his decidedly upset face while Blake was obviously worried. Keeper went to the room's closet and moved some piles of stuff to reveal a small safe. He opened it and pulled out a cloth bag, the sounds of crystals rattling reaching everyone's ears.

"What are those for?" Blake asked once Keeper had closed and hidden the safe again.

"Don't worry, I'll explain once we go to the roof." Keeper told her, making his way to the door.

"Slow down." Blake grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.

"Blake, I'm going to say this only once. I'm going to the roof and if you want to know what's wrong, you'll save your questions for there or don't bother asking them at all." Keeper pulled his arm free, roughly shoving Blake away before hurrying on his way.

Blake took a second to compose herself before moving to the doorway. She looked directly at where Yang and Neo were hiding, "You'd better hope I get through to him or I'm sending him back here." She said to no one in particular but they knew she had somehow sensed them. She closed the door behind her, leaving them alone.

"That kind of killed the mood. Keeper's in a funk over something." Neo said as she dropped the illusion. Yang immediately felt bad, knowing that Neo cared for Keeper as much as Kira did, acting as a surrogate for the boy's older sister.

"Well then, I suggest you let me make you feel better." Yang told her, pushing Neo back to the mattress.

* * *

"Blake's been gone a long time, should we call her?" Ruby asked, wondering where the two had gone after Blake had forcibly dragged Keeper away.

"She's probably making sure he doesn't try and escape the infirmary without a proper check-up. He acts too proud to let anyone see him weak." Weiss said, filing her nails as she waited patiently for Blake. She couldn't care less if Keeper came back after the way he had talked to her, especially since he had been offering to try and befriend her at breakfast. "He really doesn't know how to make friends though."

"Don't worry Weiss, I'll discipline him later." Ruby assured her partner. "But was he right? Are you really that afraid of what your family thinks?"

Weiss stood up and looked at the younger girl, annoyed by the question. But instead of launching into a tirade, she sighed. Sometimes Ruby had to ask the difficult questions. "Yes. My family's rather conservative, as you could guess considering their stance on Faunus. For a while, I really struggled with my own feelings and when I finally decided I was interested in both girls and guys, I didn't exactly tell my family or the team. It was really embarrassing since I figured it out because I was attracted to Blake of all people. I fell for the one person who my parents would never accept as my friend, much less my girlfriend." Weiss sat down, defeated by her own speech.

"So?" Weiss looked up when Ruby had jumped down and turned to face her.

"So what?"

"So what if your parents might not like who you fell for? Are you really going to throw away your happiness for them?"

"You don't understand! If they find out, they'll disown me and then how will I make anything right?" Weiss confessed, broken by her admission. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked right into Ruby's smile.

"We're making things right with everything we do. Whether or not you have your dad's company won't change that." Ruby declared.

* * *

Blake looked at Keeper's shadowy outline, wondering what could have changed such a perpetually positive and upbeat person into this brooding mope.

"What has you this bothered? If you don't start talking I can make you talk." Blake told him, reaching for Gambol Shroud as a clear warning and threat.

Keeper gave a cold chuckle, "Maybe you haven't changed as much as you thought. Besides, do you really think you could make me do anything?"

"No." She crossed her arms. "But we're friends so you could at least try talking instead of going all dark and edgy. It doesn't suit you. Especially with the fact that your eyes are even more silver than normal."

"Really, my eyes? Really? That's not what's bothering me." Keeper turned to look at her, "Last night, Ruby and I shared a dream. Luckily she doesn't really remember a lot of it, but I do…" He relayed his version of the dream and preceding nightmare, leaving out the fact that his was more of a psychological horror than just a strange dream.

"But I'm not understanding, how does this make you act all weird?"

"After I woke up in the morning, the dream didn't fade and memories of things I've never done were bubbling into my mind. All those things Ruby said about telling her dream friend. I remember them, going all the way back. Hell, I even remember the first time we… they met in her dreams."

"That's very strange. But are you sure that it's not just you?"

"Even since I became mortal I haven't been dreaming. I had enough time to think it over, and I think Ruby's a seer." Came his quick reply.

"A what?"

"A seer. I guess here you call them psychics. She managed to pull me into her dream and even plant those memories in my mind."

Now Blake was confused. "Care to explain more?"

"Seers have immensely powerful mental abilities independent of their semblances and are pretty common in our culture. Depending on the seer they can do all kinds of things. Some have the ability to see the history of a person or object in a single glance, some can predict the future, some can communicate mind to mind, and even a rare few can communicate with the dead. And if Ruby can manipulate memories, she may just be one of the most powerful."

"I'm sensing a 'but' in there."

"But no known seer has ever lived to be older than 20. And powerful ones don't make it to 17."

"Are you saying…?" An image flashed through Blake's mind: Ruby lying dead in the dorm, blood running from her nose and ears. She felt every muscle tense in fear, the thought bringing an unwanted rush of adrenaline.

"That Ruby could die at any second? It's a big possibility. But I'm holding on to a tiny sliver of hope that I'm wrong, but I'm preparing myself to be right. So if you would be so kind, tell them I'm being held for exhaustion or something they'll believe. I need to be alone to properly work this problem out." Keeper turned away from her, clearly ending the conversation as he pulled out his scroll. when she left the roof, she could hear him making a call.

* * *

"Perry, you never cease to please." Torchwick said to no one, looking over the reports from his oldest and most trusted lackey. Cinder's special orders, the White Fang members in question, and even some of Ironwood's reports on Neo's confessions. Roman could always rely on the Faunus yes-man, especially now that he knew that Perry could handle some of the rougher stuff since he survived the Mountain Glenn incident.

"Now all that leaves for me is to plan what to do about this." Roman told himself, ready to let his imagination run wild. Oh the things he would do.

* * *

Weiss and Ruby turned to the door as Blake walked in, her expression filled with concern.

"Well?" Weiss asked, looking at her.

"Keeper's definitely sick." Blake saw Ruby's frown, and visibly flinched like she'd been slapped. "But it's nothing major, just some severe exhaustion combined with aura drain." Ruby's cheer returned and it made Blake feel better until she remembered what Keeper had said. _I hope he's wrong. But when has he ever been this wrong about something?_

"Is that why he was so strange today?" Weiss stared at Blake, almost challenging her to lie.

Luckily Blake was ready for that. "The nurse mentioned it happens if both problems crop up at the same time. Personality changes are only temporary and he should be fine tomorrow."

"That's a relief." Ruby said, setting herself down next to Weiss. "Isn't that right?"

Weiss crossed her arms, but nodded, "I guess I can let it go if he's ill."

"Now is there anything you want to tell Blake?" Ruby prompted, giving Weiss a nudge with her shoulder. Blake turned to Weiss, intrigued.

"Would you be willing to spend the night sharing my bed?" Weiss asked, looking bashful. Blake gave her own surprised blush and nodded, glad that Weiss was willing to forgive her for the previous night's incident.

"Hurray! Now to bed everyone. It's the last day of the festival tomorrow!" Ruby told them, jumping back up into her bed. Blake took the time to change into her pajamas before she settled into bed next to Weiss.

But even as Blake lay with Weiss and their arms were intertwined, she couldn't help but understand why Keeper was so disrupted by the thought of losing Ruby. You don't recover from losing someone you love.

* * *

Keeper hung up his scroll, looking at the bag of crystals he had taken from his personal safe.

"I can only pray that I'm wrong about most of this." He told himself, pulling out three specific crystals. "I can't believe I have to resort to these antiquated methods. But time is of the essence."

He slipped one crystal under his tongue, mumbling to himself, "I think I hate the taste of moonstone more than its side-effects." Then he sat down on the roof, letting himself fall back to stare into the stars. He closed his eyes and took the last two crystals and placed one over each of his eyes. The rubies glowed with starlight even through his eyelids.

_But what about the other possibility? That boy… If she's a descendant of the Lost Hero, then maybe there's still hope for this world. _

**Author's Note: So this chapter had some weird and very saddening things happen. I feel like this story is only getting more complex, so I might use the opening of the next chapter to do something of a recap.**


End file.
